Honor
by Half-elf
Summary: The Northern battle is over. Enemies are destroyed, friends are taken and lives are changed. But the Avatar must continue his quest for the future of the world and so must a banished prince. ZukoXKatara. R&R, please!
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is my first Avatar fic so tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: I wish, but I don't, so don't sue.

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_He's gone. Why wouldn't he take my hand?_ Zuko looked down into the pool where he last saw Zhao. The water was smooth, as if it had never been disturbed. _Am I so unworthy that he wouldn't even take my hand?_ A sudden realization broke into his depressing thoughts. _Uncle! I left him with the Avatar and his friends._

Zuko ran through the streets, careful to avoid the water benders still able to fight and the fallen bodies of Fire Nation soldiers. He made it to the secret oasis and was relieved to see his uncle unharmed. The two siblings were together by the koi pond, the warrior on his knees and the bender at his back. There was no sight of the Avatar or the silvered hair girl.

It was the water tribe girl who was the first to notice him, though, and she slipped into a fighting stance. She gathered a large ball of water and held it at the ready. "What so you want." Silence greeted her statement. "Aang isn't here. Why do you want him so badly anyways? What could a twelve year old boy do to deserve you hunting him?" Zuko dropped into a fighting stance of his own. "What I do is my own business, peasant."

"That is enough you two." Iroh stepped between them. "There's been enough fighting for one night and both sides have those to mourn." He looked to Sokka who had remained kneeling by the pond for the entire exchange. "Prince Zuko, mind yourself while I find us a way out of here. I don't think any of Zhao's ships survived the spirit's attack." Iroh moved to Sokka to get him moving, he was, after all, the same age as his nephew.

Blue and gold eyes followed the two men as they left the oasis. Katara looked to the man, really a boy, beside her. "I suppose we have a sort of truce for now. We all owe your uncle a great deal. He is a great man.

Zuko looked at her strangely. "He is a great man. He has taught me much since I was… since I left home." Katara's eyes flashed blue fire as she whirled on the prince. "If he's taught you so much, why do you still hunt Aang? Don't you realize what will happen if this war is not stopped? Aang is all alone now, his people have been destroyed. More and more people are killed everyday because of this war your family started. Now the only chance this world has to survive rests on the shoulders of one very young boy. He should not have to face this; he should not have to witness all this cruelty and violence. Yet I don't know why I bother. Someone like you wouldn't understand. You thirst for blood and violence."

"You're wrong." Katara's eyes widened in shock at the prince's voice, soft and sad. "I despise the violence and death as much as anyone. Too many good people have died, most didn't deserve it." Zuko's eyes followed the koi as they circled each other in the pond. Katara's voice broke him from his painful memories. "Then why? Why do you seek to capture the one person who could stop it?"

Gold met blue and held as he debated his answer. "There's no way a mere boy could stop a man so powerful as the Fire Lord. He is ruthless, with no hint of mercy. He wouldn't care if his opponent is a mere boy." Zuko reached up to run his fingers lightly against his scar, feeling the pain again as his father's strike seared his flesh. "Weakness is not something the Fire Lord knows." He shook off the painful memories and continued on in a harsher voice. "Besides, if I do not capture the Avatar I will never regain my honor." Zhao's words echoed to him, an impossible task set by his father to ensure his failure.

"Honor! What does honor have to do with this?" Zuko spun to face her fully. "I wouldn't expect a water tribe peasant to know anything of honor. My honor is my life, without it I am nothing. When I bring the Avatar back to my father my honor will be restored."

"And you say I'm foolish." Katara touched his left shoulder to keep him from turning away from her words. "Is it more honorable to let the world suffer them to live with this mark placed upon you?" She reached up and gently ran her fingers over his scar as he had done earlier. Before he could jerk away she gripped his shoulders again. "Let me tell you about honor in my tribe." A small snort was his only reply but she continued on. "You can never have your honor taken from you. It is always here' she touched his chest, 'in your heart. Others can ridicule you, ruin your reputation but as long as you stay true to yourself and do what you think is right you will always have your honor. The only way you can lose it is if you, yourself, give it up. As in putting yourself, your wants, before that of the world. Your honor is still yours, now you must decide what to do with it."

Zuko gripped her arms in his hands, trapping hers against his chest. They stood that way, focused completely on the other, for what seemed like an eternity until the sound of a throat being cleared brought them to their senses. They separated quickly and looked to see Iroh across from them. "I'm sorry to interrupt' he said with a rather evil grin, 'but I believe we must be going, Prince Zuko. We have been given a raft and are ready to set sail immediately. In fact, I think immediately might not be fast enough, these people in the Northern Tribe have no love for fire benders." He looked to Katara curiously. "We must be going, my dear. A pleasure. Next time we must have some tea." With that he left, leaving the two teens to stare after him

Zuko turned to Katara, opened his mouth to say something and promptly shut it. He turned and began walking towards the door. Halfway across the bridge he stopped and said, "This changes nothing. I **will** capture the Avatar."

"His name is Aang." Was her only reply. "And what is your name, water bender?" Her eyes widened in shock at both his words and his soft tone. "Katara." She saw his head nod briefly then he left.

Zuko's thoughts were muddled as he, almost blindly, made his way to the raft. It seems these people were grateful enough to his uncle to provide them with transportation and some food but that was all. _If this was reversed and this happened in the Fire Nation we would have been killed. Perhaps we aren't so great after all?_ After a few hours at sea in silence, Iroh interrupted his thoughts. "That is some girl, huh? It is rare to find such wisdom in one so young." "How much did you hear uncle?" Iroh pretended to fuss with the packs to keep from meeting his nephew's eyes. "Oh, only a little. Nothing really." "How much uncle?" Iroh sighed. "Since she asked you 'Why?'."

"So you basically heard everything." It wasn't a question but he nodded anyways. "Do you think she is right uncle? Is it all up to me?"

"Zuko, I have traveled with you for two years now and not once have you done something dishonorable, even if you have a rather short fuse. You have stuck with this with a determination men three times your age do not have. You have even rescued the Avatar from a man who would have used him for his own gain." Zuko looked to him shocked. "Yes, I have known since the beginning. You don't think I'm that senile so you?" When no answer came he shot his nephew a dirty look. "I am proud of you. To me, you are very honorable, but that is a question you must answer on your own."

Zuko nodded and again they traveled in silence until, "Uncle, did you really mean it when you said that all elements must balance each other?" Iroh nodded. "So two elements could really coexist?" Iroh nodded again, a knowing smile on his lips. "I am tired uncle." Zuko lay down on the raft, thinking of what had happened the past night and of his honor. But as he drifted off to sleep, a pair of sea blue eyes invaded his dreams.

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AN: Well what did you think? Yes? No? Anything..? R&R


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Well here's the next part of Honor. I hope this is equal to the first part. Just to let you guys know, as if you couldn't tell from the first part, I'm a Zuko-Katara fan. If that bothers anyone, you have been warned. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Only in my wildest dreams!

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Katara looked after Zuko as he left deep in thought. _There's something about him. He's different from Zhao; he's more like his uncle. He's been through so much and yet, he's only Sokka's age. Sokka!_ She left the spiritual serenity of the oasis and went in search of her brother. She found him on the steps of the palace, looking up at the moon.

"How are you doing?" He glanced back at her, eyes dry but lifeless. The sight broke her heart; this wasn't how Sokka's supposed to be. She walked to him and put her arms around him. After a moment's hesitation he hugged her back fiercely.

"I can't believe she's gone. I failed her. I promised to protect her and I failed. I'm no warrior. How can I be when I can't even protect the ones I love?" Katara pushed gently back from him and looked him in the eyes. He shook his head. "I know what you're thinking. 'How could I have been in love if we only met a few weeks ago?' I don't know Katara. All I know is that she was a part of me and, now that she's gone…"

"But she's not gone. You heard what she said. She'll always be with you. I may be your younger sister and I haven't really been in love yet, but I'd have to be blind not to see what was between you two. She loved you in spite of everything. She believed in you but she wouldn't want for you to be like this. Mourn her, you have every right to. Keep her memory, but don't make that the only thing in your life. As pleasant as a memory is it will only ever be a memory." She brought him back into a hug and whispered, "Go to her father, he will need your support now as much as you need his. Together, you can mourn her." He pulled away from her and went to find the chief.

Katara took a deep breath, so many events to think over. She hadn't known Yue as closely as Sokka did but she feel her loss just the same. And then there was the Fire Prince. He said that he would still hunt Aang but, then he asked for her name. _What does he mean to do now? His gaze was… so intense, like molten gold, yet his hands were warm and gentle._ Unconsciously her hands slid up to where he gripped her arms. _He certainly seems to despise this war but, will he let that deter him from what he wants?_ A shiver went up her spine. _Zuko is nothing if not determined._ Forcibly, she shoved all thoughts of the golden eyes prince to the back of her mind and went in search of Aang.

She found him on the outer wall, looking out over the water. Out in the distance was a dark shape and she wondered briefly if that was Zuko and Iroh. She shook herself to clear her thoughts and sat next to Aang, not speaking, just waiting till he broke the silence. When he did he didn't say what she suspected. "He's dead." At her confused look he continued on. "Zhao. He's dead. He was killed."

"Zuko?"

Aang shook his head. "No. My connection with the ocean spirit wasn't completely severed; I was still able to see what happened. They were fighting, Zuko and Zhao, but I don't know who was winning. I could feel the spirit's rage when he saw Zhao standing over the water. I've never felt such anger, such hatred. It scared me Katara." She put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him and to urge him to continue. Aang must have taken strength from the contact because he went on in a stronger voice. "The spirit flowed over the bridge and surrounded Zhao and began to drag him under."

"What about Zuko? What did he do? Did the spirit go after him?" A small flutter of fear was in her stomach as she thought of the danger he was in.

"No. It didn't care about Zuko. It only cared about Zhao who had killed his beloved. It wanted revenge. But as it dragged Zhao under, Zuko reached out to him, to save him. But Zhao ignored him, he just let himself die. Why would he do such a thing, Katara?" At the moment Aang sounded very much like the twelve year old boy he was, scared and confused.

Katara gained his attention, she wanted to make her point stick with him. "Pride. He pulled away because of his pride. It was too much for him to accept the help of a dishonored prince, especially on who has prevented him from achieving his desires, time after time. He couldn't accept help from his enemy even when his life depended on it. You need to understand this, Aang. Never let your pride rule you or you **will** fail."

He still was confused. "But what about Zuko? Why would he try to save him?"

"Because Zuko is a good man."

Now Aang looked downright shocked. "What do you mean?"

Katara paused and colleted her thoughts. "I think that there's more to the Prince then we thought. It takes a real man, a good man, to save his enemies. You've done this before. Just tonight you saved Zuko. And now it seems that Zuko does this as well. At least, this one time."

"No." Aang diverted his gaze from Katara's and looked towards where the raft had disappeared. "Not just this once." He ignored her curious stare and rose to head back to the palace. "Come on. We need to prepare for the next leg of our journey."

"First we mourn. For both side's losses." She noticed a fire nation helmet imbedded in the nice near them. "The dead need proper burial and Sokka needs some time. Yue is gone." Her voice was gentle, hoping to lessen the blow but Aang simply nodded.

"I know. The spirit told. We will wait but we cannot wait long. The comet approaches quickly and I still have much to learn." Together, they returned to the palace.

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AN: Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading. Well, tell me what you think. R&R


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Welcome to the next fun filled chapter. I know there hasn't been much action but action without plot gets you a very bad story; in my opinion at least. For those who reviewed, thank you, for those of you just coming to this story, what took you so long? Well, here we go. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: It was on my list for Santa but I guess I was on the naughty list this year.

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"Where are we heading uncle?" It had been two days since Zhao's death and they were still floating on this Agni-forsaken raft.

"We are going back to the last port we were in. After your… um… death I told the crew to find a new ship. That we would need one when we returned."

"You told them? You told them I was alive? What if they told others?"

"Nephew, you need to learn to trust your crew. They are more than men who serve under you. They are family. Most of them think of you as a little brother; slightly annoying, intelligent, hardworking, stubborn, and someone to teach and protect. And someone to be proud of. These men are completely dedicated to you, Zuko. They've seen you fight, seen you put aside your own desires for their well being and they trust your decisions. Do not underestimate them."

"But uncle, what can an exile and a traitor do? Neither of us can go back home now." Iroh nodded slowly.

"But what about the Avatar, nephew? Are you abandoning your search?"

"No uncle. At least, not exactly. But I want to talk to the crew before I decide what to do. We'll need them to stand with us to succeed in my plan. Without them…"

Iroh reached over to pat Zuko's arm. "They will follow you, whatever you decide to do."

O.o.o.o.o.O

Five days later they arrived at the port. Docked there was a Fire Nation ship, one that had belonged to Zhao. "Now what do we do uncle? I'm no longer dead, the soldiers with Zhao at the oasis recognized me, and you're branded a traitor. It's not like we can just walk up to the ship."

"You worry too much nephew. We'll just go into town and see who we find." They made their way off the docks, being careful to avoid the notice of the Fire Nation ship.

"Prince Zuko!" Apparently, they weren't careful enough. Both men whirled to face their opponent, fire summoned to their hands. Lt. Jee stood before them, hands spread, waiting for them to recognize him. The fire left their hands immediately as they looked at their friend.

"Prince Zuko, General. Please, come aboard ship." He gestured behind him to the ship that was under Zhao's command. Iroh arched his eyebrows in question. Jee rushed to explain. "We remained in port, like you told us to do General, looking for a ship. A few days ago, this ship returned from the north. They had lost their officers and the crew was hysterical. They kept babbling about a giant spirit monster that attacked them. They were so terrified that they dropped anchor and left. 'Fighting the Avatar is one thing' they said 'but fighting the spirit world is different.' The ship was abandoned so we confiscated it. It was the least Zhao could do after he blew up our ship."

A tired, half smile touched Zuko's lips. "Excellent I want to meet with you and the other officers in the briefing room in fifteen minutes." Together they entered the ship and then went their separate ways. Jee went to gather the officers, Zuko and Iroh made their way to the briefing room. Fire Nation ships are enough alike in layout, no matter the size, to prevent them from getting lost.

"So what's your plan, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked as soon as they reached the room.

"Hold your questions uncle. I'd rather only go through this once. It will be difficult enough without saying it twice." Zuko sat at the head of the table and began to meditate; he would need all the control he could get.

Zuko stood as the men entered the room. Iroh came to stand behind his right shoulder in a visible show of support and respect. When all were seated he began the speech that he had prepared on the raft. "I've come to a realization about this war and about the Fire Lord. Before you stand two men, both branded as traitors for acting with honor, for trying to protect the Fire Nation and the world. If anyone is a traitor, it is the Fire Lord himself. In his lust for power he is destroying what we hold dear: home. I'm going to prevent this from happening. But I cannot do this alone. I've called you here to ask for your help."

An officer in the back stood up angrily. "You're asking us to forfeit our honor just like you did yours! Unlike you, Prince Zuko, none of us wish to live dishonorably." Zuko's hands clenched at his sides, smoking slightly. He was struggling to control the urge to attack the men when _her_ words came back to him. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

He looked the man straight in the eyes but his words were for everyone. "A very wise woman once asked me if it was more honorable to let the world suffer then to live with this scar. She also said that honor can never be taken from someone, that it is up to him to decide what to do with it. Now, I ask you, what will you do with your honor? Will you be like my uncle, who stood against Zhao in order to protect the balance of the world? Will you do the honorable thing, even though you will be punished for it? Or will you follow the Fire Lord blindly to the destruction of the world? I need your help to prevent that destruction but, I will do this alone if I must." Zuko sat down and waited for their decision.

At first they were silent, each waiting far another to speak first. Then Lt. Jee stood and bowed deeply to the Prince. "I will stand with you, my Prince, as a loyal son of the Fire Nation." One by one the rest of the men stood, bowed, and pledged their loyalty.

And, for a moment, Zuko was speechless. _They're going to stand with me. Against the might of the Fire Nation, against the Fire Lord._

"What is your plan, Prince Zuko?" Zuko looked to his uncle who was, clearly, very pleased.

Zuko swallowed the lump in his throat and outlined his plan. "As it now stands, the fate of our world rests on a very green boy. He may be talented but he is still very inexperienced. Someday, he's going to face the Fire Lord who isn't going to care if he's young. He will show him no mercy." A few glances around the table came to rest on the Prince's scar.

Zuko ignored the stares and continued on. "The Avatar needs to be challenged. That is the only was he can improve his fighting skills. My fa… the Fire Lord will continue to send people after the Avatar to capture him. We will run interference for him, keep others from getting to him."

Jee looked at him confusedly. "But I thought you wanted him challenged?"

"I do and he will be, by us. Him and his companions. We will continue after them as we always have but it will be more of a mock battle. They will think its real but we will stop just shy of hurting them. The Avatar needs the practice fighting fire benders, the water tribe boy needs practice fighting anybody and the girl… she needs to sharpen her bending skills. They need to be able to protect themselves and the Avatar. So, are we agreed?"

A chorus of "Yes sir" rang through the room. "Then pull anchor. We have an Avatar to catch." The men rushed out, leaving only Lt. Jee and Iroh.

"Sir?" Jee approached Zuko. "Where are we headed?"

Zuko thought for a moment. "They'll need to find an Earth Master. Head towards the Earth Kingdom, the capital. That would be the most logical place." Jee saluted and left for the bridge.

"I am proud of you, nephew. Somewhat surprised, but very proud." Zuko turned to his uncle who was smiling broadly. "Now, about the girl… What are you going to do with her?"

"What do you mean, what am I going to do with her? I told you my plans."

Iroh sat across from his nephew, wincing slightly as his bones creaked. It was hard getting old. "She seems to be one of the few people you respect. I find that interesting. Especially considering that every time you meet you fight each other. Very interesting."

Zuko got up from the table, agitated. "There's nothing interesting about it, uncle. She's a capable fighter, that's all. Now, I'm going to get some sleep." He left the room, leaving behind a very pleased Iroh.

"That's all huh? Very interesting." He got up and followed his nephew's example. They were all going to be very busy soon, best to rest while he could.

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AN: Well that's it for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Review please.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Hello and welcome to the next chapter of "Honor". Now, without much further ado, on to the chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Woo hoo! I won the lottery! The first thing I'm buying is Avatar. Let's see here… 'To collect winnings contact the Tooth Fairy." Not funny guys! Well, I'm broke so, no, I don't own.

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"So where are we heading Aang?" A week had passed since the night of the moon's death and rebirth and Sokka, Katara and Aang were once again on Appa's back. Master Pakku had left to the South Pole, the dead were buried and the walls of the city rebuilt. And the city, finally, had something to believe in. The Avatar wasn't some abstract thought anymore, he was real and he had fought along side them. This gave them something they lacked for a long time; hope. Hope that the world could be saved and harmony restored.

"Jeong Jeong said that I need to master water and earth before fire and with you here, Katara, water's covered. So that leaves earth. So, I thought that we'd head south and see Bumi."

Sokka and Katara just stared at him. "Uh, Aang," Katara began. "As nice and… mentally unique as Bumi is, don't you think that a King would have other things to do? Plus, perhaps you shouldn't have a teacher who is so visible. It would only make it that much easier for the Fire Nation to find you."

"I know that. But he would know where we could find a master. And we could stop by and pick up supplies and maybe have a feast."

Sokka's eyes lit up. "I'm sold. Let's get moving Appa! Yip yip."

Katara looked to the two young men and shook her head. "You both are crazy."

Sokka shot her a sly smile before replying. "Aang's crazy. I'm just hungry."

Katara smiled back at him. _It's good to see him smile again. This is the first time he's seemed happy since Yue became the moon spirit. Poor Sokka,_ she sighed, _he's got no luck with women. Come to think of it, neither of us have luck with love._ For some reason, Zuko flashed into her mind. _I wonder what he's doing. He said nothing's changed but he's against the war. I just don't understand him._ She pushed all thoughts of the brooding prince to the back of her mind and concentrated on her companions.

_The last battle changed them. I've never seen Aang so determined and focused. And Sokka's more than willing to head right to the Fire Nation and face the Fire Lord._ She looked at him worriedly. _He's so full of anger because of Yue. He needs to get over this of he'll get us all into trouble over his revenge._ She closed her eyes and let the wind from Appa's movement remove all her doubts and cares. Until they reached the Earth Kingdom at least.

O.o.o.o.o.O

This time, there was no need to sneak in, no need to hide. They landed Appa right in front of the gate and Aang spoke to the guards. "I am Aang, the Avatar, and I seek an audience with King Bumi."

The two guards bowed deeply, a sign of great respect. "Since your last visit, Avatar, His Majesty has instructed us to allow you free movement within the city. Would you like an escort to the palace?"

Aang gave them a large, lopsided grin, some of his youth slipping free of his mature veneer. "No thanks guys. We can't miss it. It's the huge building in the center of town. But thanks anyways. Appa, yip yip." With an exaggerated wave, they went over the wall and headed for the palace. They circled the building twice before landing in a large, lush garden. Waiting for them was Bumi.

Aang leaped off Appa to hug his friend. "It's good to see you Aang." Bumi looked past him. "Sokka, Katara. As happy as I am, I have a feeling this isn't a social call." Aang shook his head and opened his mouth to speak but Bumi interrupted. "No matter. First we must have a feast." Sokka's stomach grumbled happily and was loud enough for half the city to hear. "Yes, yes. Food first and rest. After that you must tell me your tale." He signaled for a servant. "Takato, take our guests to their rooms please. The newly refurbished ones."

Takato looked at him oddly. "Do you mean the newly done dungeon sir?"

"No, no, no. The rooms we did before that." Bumi turned again to Aang and the others. "Clean up and relax for a bit while I get the feast underway." With that he left, leaving them to trail after Takato.

He led them down hallway after hallway until they came to three doors, two on one side and one on the other. "The two doors on the right are for the gentlemen and the left one is for the lady. That one has a lovely view of the gardens at night. Clean up and rest, I will return when your meal is ready. If you need anything before then, simply send for me." Takato bowed and left.

Both boys looked to Katara; she was the best when it came to proper etiquette. "Let's wash up and take a nap. We'll talk to his majesty during dinner and tell him what has happened and what we think we'll need to do now. After that…" She shrugged.

Each went into his or her room to freshen up. Katara's eyes went wide as she entered. It was huge. Ok, maybe not huge, but definitely far larger then her room at home. It was lovely, dark cherry wood furniture and a mixture of soothing shades of greens. She wandered around, poking her head into every nook and door. "Oh my, this is heaven." She found the bathroom with the large tub filled with steaming water and… sniff… scented oil. Without a second thought she shed her clothes and sunk in. _There's nothing more soothing then water._ She sighed and let the heat remove the tension from her muscles. _At least we're safe here from the Fire Nation._ At the back of her mind a small voice spoke up. 'For now.'

O.o.o.o.o.O

As Katara soaked her worries away, two figures in green and brown approached the front gate; an old man and a young one with a hood pulled over his head and a pack slung on his back. The guards stopped their approach. "State your business."

Iroh looked to the men in front of him and gave them a large obsessed smile. "Shopping! My son and I are looking for good tea and we hear you have some of the best. The kind really doesn't matter but ginseng is my favorite. Did you know that tea is almost medicinal in nature? It also calms a person who is hysterical or nervous. And there are so many varieties: Oolong, Green, Darjeeling, Black, Assam, Yerba, Jasmine, Pu-erh, Rooibos then there are the herbal teas."

He took a deep breath to continue his list but the guards scrambled to stop him. "We believe you. Just, please, stop talking. Go inside." They bended the door open and let them pass. "Well nephew, now what do we do?"

"In order for my plan to work, I need to know where the Avatar is headed. To do this, I need to get close to him." They, slowly, headed to the center of the city.

"And how do you intend to find this out? Sneak into the palace?"

Zuko locked eyes with his uncle. "Exactly."

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AN: Hope you liked it. I'm working on the next chapter now so, hopefully, it will be up soon. Review please! Thank you.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Hello again! A few things to get out before I get to the story. 1) I'm sorry this chapter took so long but I've been sick and couldn't really concentrate on writing. 2) I've started school again so there might be a slight wait between chapters now. I still have every intention of finishing this story. 3) I want to put a plug in for a really great story that hasn't been getting the attention it deserves. "The Elements of War, Novella Two: Water" (read one first though) by Limetastic. Trust me you'll like the story. 4) Moony92, this scene is for you. See hope isn't always bad.

Disclaimer: Now that I've taken care of those friends who give fake lotto tickets (re-sheaths sword), we can continue on with the story. I'm still broke though and I only own my sword. Yesss, my precioussssss.

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"…and so we've decided to come see you." Katara and Aang had just finished telling Bumi their story. Without help from Sokka who was shoveling in food faster then ever. They had glossed over some events and concentrated more on fact then feelings. It was much easier to get through it by being emotionally detached.

"Well, you three certainly have been busy. That's a lot to go through in so short a time." And he could see the signs of it in their faces. Aang had lost some of his carefree nature in the face of such great evil. Sokka's eyes had lost their exuberance and slight clueless ness; instead there was a shadow of a heart breaking loss. And Katara, always the most serious of the trio, had lost her innocent view of the world. Things were no longer black and white and it seemed as if she was no longer sure of what to think of people.

"Well, you need to rest for a few days. Rest and good food and you'll be ready to continue. Yes. Then I will send you south to my friend, Ishi. It is roughly a three day journey but with Appa, about a day and a half. She is a wonderful teacher and not too hard on the eyes." Bumi wriggled his eyebrows, Aang and Sokka looked slightly horrified while Katara stifled giggles. "Now, what was I saying… oh yes. She's strict though, so be prepared to work. Now then, who wants to help me feed Flopsie?"

The three exchanged nervous glances. Each remembered Bumi's 'little' pet. Katara cleared her throat. "With all due respect, your majesty. We've had a long journey and we had best get to bed."

The twinkle in the old king's eye declared that he expected that answer. "Very well then. Off to bed with you. Shoo, shoo. See you in the morning." Together, they rose and headed for their rooms.

O.o.o.o.o.O

Elsewhere, in an inn near the palace gardens stood Zuko. _Finally, it's dark enough._ He slipped into dark clothing and wrapped a dark cloth around the lower half of his face. His mask had been destroyed in the explosion. Lastly he strapped a pair of daos on his back.

"Are those really necessary?" Iroh called from behind him, sipping slightly at his tea.

"In case there's a problem, uncle, I'd rather not have to bend. This way, at least, I'll be anonymous."

Iroh sighed. "Very well. Be careful Zuko. Nothing flashy. Just get in and get out. I'll be waiting."

"Yes uncle. Don't worry, I shouldn't be long." With that, he slipped through the window into the dark alley. It was only a matter of moments before he was over the garden wall. _Foolish. They must expect the outer walls to stop all intruders. Or to have enough time to fall back and raise their defenses._

Quietly, he slipped through the garden, looking for an entry way. _There._ He smiled at the sight of the darkened window above him. A quick climb up the tree next to him and a leap and he was on the sill. _Easy enough._ He emerged into a bedroom; neat, spacious and, thankfully, empty. He was making his way across the room when the handle began to turn. _Fight or hide?_

"Why don't you guys come in and we can finalize our plans before bed?" The girl's voice decided him. He noticed a door to his right and slipped in; the bathroom. _Good enough._

Katara and the others walked in and Zuko settled in to wait. And to listen.

O.o.o.o.o.O

"I know we have to leave soon but can't we stay one more day Katara?" Katara was perched on the bed and Sokka was sprawled on the floor while Aang moved restlessly about the room. "It's fun being with Bumi. Not to mention all the great food."

"He does have a point, Katara." Sokka perked up at the mention of his favorite past time.

"One more day's fine but the day after tomorrow we have to leave. It's a three day journey to get to Midori Island and we can't waste anymore time."

"Only a day and a half on Appa. You worry too much Katara." Aang plopped down next to Sokka and air bended a marble into the air.

"Well I have a right to worry. We only have a few more months before the comet comes. And I keep waiting for Zuko to show up and chase us again."

Sokka waved a hand lazily. "It's not like we haven't handled him before. Perhaps we'll get luck and he'll freeze out there on the raft."

"Sokka!" Katara admonished him. "Don't say things like that. He doesn't deserve it."

He sat up in disbelief. "How can you defend him? He's a fire bender."

"So's his uncle, that doesn't mean he's not a good man."

"Just because he tried to save that monkey faced Zhao doesn't make him decent. One time of good doesn't make up for a whole bunch of bad. Besides, it's not like he'd do that for one of us."

Aang shifted uncomfortably before deciding to speak up. "Well, you can't really say that Sokka." Katara and Sokka stopped their bickering and faced their friend.

"What are you talking about, Aang?" Katara prompted him gently.

"Well, you remember that time you guys got sick and I gave you those toads to suck?"

"Yeah. I'm still trying to get the taste off my tongue." Katara shushed Sokka impatiently.

"Well, when I was trying to get them, I ended up being captured by Zhao."

"Aang! Why didn't you tell us?" He looked sheepishly at his feet.

"I didn't want to worry you. Besides, everything turned out alright. But I was chained up and locked in a room when a guy in a mask came in and cut the chains. Then he led me outside and we made a break for it. We were spotted and we had to fight out way out. You should have seen him fight. He was amazing. Cutting arrows out of the air, taking on five… ten men at once. Anyways, we were surrounded and he, well, he figured a way out of it but he got knocked out by an arrow. I dragged him out and we made it."

"Yeah, great story Aang, but what does it have to do with Zuko?"

Katara shot her brother an exasperated look. "Are you really that oblivious? He was the guy in the mask, wasn't he Aang?" He nodded.

Sokka was torn between confusion and disbelief. "That's crazy. Why would he risk himself for you."

"Because he's not all bad." Both boys looked at Katara. "When we talked after the battle he seemed like… I don't know, he was different. He wasn't bloodthirsty or violent. He was hurt… weary… sad. I think he's more complicated then we thought."

Sokka peered closely at her. "That's it, you're sleep deprived. Go to bed and we'll see you tomorrow." He and Aang left.

"Bed sounds nice but another bath sounds better." She headed for the bathroom.

O.o.o.o.o.O

Zuko panicked. _There's gotta be someplace to hide._ His eyes came to rest on a screen in the corner of the room. He quickly disappeared behind it. Just in time, because Katara walked into the room.

_I can't believe this. I can't believe this._ He repeated this over and over in his head like a mantra. Katara undid her hair, letting it fall loose and long around her shoulders. The tub filled with hot water sending steam into the closed room. She hummed softly as she searched through the bottles on the counter. Choosing one, she added it to the water. Soon the scent of lavender reached his nose; clean and sweet. _Just like her._

Zuko shook his head to clear his thoughts. She began to undo her tunic and he closed his eyes. _If she sees me now, she'll kill me. No matter what she said before._ He heard the sound of water moving as she slid in and he looked up. He got an eyeful, blushed, and looked back down. _I guess we can't keep calling her the water tribe **girl**._

With a sigh, almost a moan, she sunk into the water up to her neck. He stifled a sigh of his own as he settled in to wait. _I hope she doesn't take as long as other girls._ He looked up again, though, as she began to sing. It was a Water Nation melody, slow and captivating. Her voice was low, clear and sweet. He lost himself in her voice and the sight of her shoulders above the water and the time past quickly.

Then she was rising from the water and he dropped his gaze. Within a few moments she had prepared for bed and entered her bedroom. He moved from behind the screen and looked out the door. She stretched and climbed under the covers. He looked out the window at the height of the moon. _I'll wait an hour, then I'll leave._

An hour later he slipped quietly past her sleeping form, pausing once to look down at her. _She really is lovely._ He left her chamber and made it back to his uncle without further incident.

"Zuko! What took you so long? Did you see anything interesting?" Iroh was surprised to see a deep flush spread over his nephew's face. "Are you alright? Do you have a fever?" He went up to the younger man and placed his hand on his forehead.

Before he could begin to fuss like a mother hen, Zuko stopped him. "I'm fine uncle. I found out the Avatar's plans. We move out tomorrow with the men and head south towards Midori. They'll come down to make camp before reaching there and that's when we'll strike. Let's get some sleep, we need to be up and out before down." He ignored the curious look his uncle was sending him and settled into bed. As sleep claimed him, her song drifted through his mind.

> > > > > > > > >

AN: That's it for this installment. I hope you all liked it. R&R please.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Sorry for the wait but /3 English + 1 History + 1 Science + Work >BUSY/. I now accept unsigned reviews (sorry 'bout that). Now, before we get to the story, I have one thing to say. To all those who have reviewed and to all those who have read, I thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Disclaimer: Something witty, something witty. Think. Think. /Takes a drink from her slurpee/ Ahhh! Brain Freeze! I… don't… own. /Collapses from the effort./

> > > > > > >

It was before dawn when Zuko and Iroh went through the front gate unhindered. (The guards had recognized Iroh and wanted to stall another conversation on tea). Not far from the capital they met up with fourteen of their men. Everyone turned to Zuko for orders.

"Saddle up. We're heading south towards Midori Island. That's where the Avatar's headed. He's leaving tomorrow so we'll need to hurry."

Lt. Jee spoke up. "My Lord, there's high levels of Fire Nation activity in that area. If they're still looking for him, and I'm sure they are, how will we prevent them from finding the Avatar?"

"Simple. We send them off to chase smoke. I need eight men, volunteers because you might not rejoin us for a while." Eight men quickly stepped forward. "I want you each to go in a separate direction. Whenever you come upon a town or other Fire Nation soldiers begin to spread a rumor about the Avatar's whereabouts."

"The same rumor, sir, or do each of us tell a different one?"

"Different. I don't want people to be able to tell truth from rumor. The more confused we make them the better." Zuko looked to the men, his family for the past two years. There was a chance, a small chance, but still a chance that he wouldn't see them again. "Good luck. May Agni watch over you and protect you." The eight men scattered in different directions to begin their tales. The rest of them turned their mounts and followed Zuko and Iroh south. As they traveled, Zuko outlined his plan.

"We wait for them to set up camp and separate. If they stay together, we will need to separate them as we fight. I want one man on the water tribe boy. I want the rest of the benders on the Avatar. Be careful not to harm them too badly. The point of this is to teach, not to maim. I'll give a signal when it's time to fall back. Uncle, I want you to head toward the ship and have it drop anchor near there. We'll find you later."

Iroh looked over to his nephew, realizing that he left someone out. "What about the girl?" He was surprised when a faint blush crept over the prince's cheeks.

"She's mine." Iroh's eyebrows rose high in shock as he looked at his nephew. Then, with a chuckle and a satisfied smile, he looked forward.

The blush deepened on Zuko's ivory face. "Not like that, uncle. It's simply a rematch. I have a score to settle with her and I don't want anyone else to interfere."

Another chuckle. "Whatever you say, nephew. Whatever you say." His only reply was a low growl and the prince pushing his mount faster.

O.o.o.o.o.O

"Aang, why don't we stop for the day? It shouldn't be that much farther." In response to her words, Aang steered Appa to a clearing below. "Alright, let's set up camp. Aang, why don't you…"

He interrupted her. "I want to give Appa a bath. There was a lack back there so we'll be back soon. Plus I'll practice my water bending." His smile took up half his face, making Katara laugh. _He does need some joy._ "Alright. Have fun." She turned to her brother.

"I'll get the food." He was off like a shot.

"Fine! Leave me to set up by myself!"

She moved around camp, setting out the sleeping bags and setting a ring of stones for a fire. Just within the woods she found kindling and set about making a fire, with some difficulty. "What is wrong, why won't this light?" She picked up her flint to try again when a voice spoke up from behind her.

"I can light that for you."

O.o.o.o.o.O

Aang had finished giving Appa his bath and had let him fly off. Now he was swimming happily. He dove under the surface and shot himself out of the water with bending. His happy cry was cut short by a fire ball flung in his direction. He fell back down into the water with a painful splash.

He gathered water around him and pushed himself high into the air, coming down in the center of the five men. There was complete stillness as each gauged the strength of his opponent. Then the clearing erupted with fire.

Aang ducked and dodged the initial throws and produced a large burst of wind to push two of the men back into the forest. The other three came at him, hands and feet engulfed in flame.

Aang moved quickly; dodging, leaping, and blocking strikes. His glider was back at camp so he was stuck there. He drew water from the lake behind him and sent a whip at one of the men, sending him to the ground, stunned. The other two quickly evaporated the whip and pressed him back.

Two were on either side of him, preparing to fire. Aang timed it right and leapt at the last second. One was fast enough to dodge but the other wasn't. But the fire hardly did more then scorch his clothes. Aang filed that into the back of his mind.

By this time the first two began to move back into the clearing. He brought up another wave of water and froze the feet of the two closest to him in place. It wouldn't hold them long but just long enough. Two quick bursts of air sent them down for the rest of the fight but the one who was struck by the whip began to get up shakily.

The two steadier ones closed in for hand-to-hand combat. Aang surrounded his hands with water and met their attack. He dodged as much as he could but he was tiring. They finally connected with his stomach and was pushed to the ground, winded.

Suddenly, a large fireball was seen in the air. Instead of advancing on him as he was expecting, the two soldiers picked up their unconscious companions and all five disappeared into the forest. Aang blinked in surprise and got up. He was sore and scorched badly in places but, all-in-all, he was fine.

He rummaged through his clothes and pulled out the whistle. He needed to call Appa and get back to camp as soon as possible. He had a bad feeling about this.

O.o.o.o.o.O

"Man, I love these things." Sokka had found a fruit tree and was eating half of what he was collecting. He was oblivious of surrounding while filling his pack and his stomach when a fireball struck the tree next to his head.

He turned to see a lone fire bender taking up a fighting stance. He filled with white hot rage and struck blindly at the man. The attack was easily sidestepped and Sokka was shoved to the ground. As he regained his feet, he remembered what his father told him when he first began training. 'Fighting in anger always leads to defeat. Don't let it rule your head. Channel it as strength.'

Sokka took a deep breath and focused. He drew his boomerang and aimed it at a point just to the side of the bender's head. The bender almost rolled his eyes at the 'bad' aim and moved forward to engage in hand-to-hand. Before he got too far, the boomerang returned and struck him in the back of the head, sending him to the ground.

Sokka chuckled softly. "And Katara says I don't use my head." He picked up his weapon, turned to retrieve his sack and head back to camp. He was tackled from behind.

"If you used your head, you'd realize that wouldn't knock me out if I had a helmet on."

Sokka wriggled around, pulled his legs up and planted them in the soldier's stomach. With an audible grunt he pushed him over his head. He didn't spend all his time up north with Yue.

The fire bender grinned. "Not bad boy, but you've still much to learn." They came together in a beautiful but deadly dance. Sokka had his club in one hand and his boomerang in the other. With the club, he blocked swing after swing and he deflected a few flashes of fire with the boomerang. He was concentrating so hard on watching his opponent's arms that he didn't notice the flames licking at his feet.

The bender brought his leg around in an axe kick to Sokka's shoulder. He crumpled with a cry of pain. "Always be aware of your surroundings. Notice every part of your opponent's body. Remain focused." Sokka looked up at the bender who was a few feet away. This was starting to sound like one of his training sessions up north.

Sokka struggled slowly, painfully, to his feet and dropped into a stance. The bender smiled, almost a proud smile, and mirrored Sokka's stance. A large fireball erupted in the sky, drawing their attention. The bender gave him a cocky salute and took off through the trees.

Sokka stood there, blinking after him. "Well… That was odd." He went over to pick up his sack when a thought came to him. "Katara's all alone." He sped back towards camp.

O.o.o.o.o.O

Katara watched as the prince appeared from the shadowed woods. "I was wondering when you would show up. What do you want?"

An arrogant smirk touched his lips. "What do you think?"

Her body thrummed with anger. "I know you're intelligent, I know you believe in your uncle's ideals. So why are you continuing with this idiotic plan?" He simply smirked as he began to circle her. Her body flushed with anger. "You arrogant, pompous, moron!"

He stopped moving and faced her. "I'd watch your mouth, Katara. You have no idea of what you're talking about." In response, she drew a ball of water from the stream behind her. He smirked again. "So, you want a rematch? I won't go as easy on you as last time."

The smirk she sent him was a reflection of his own. "I'm doing this to protect Aang, not to play with you."

Without waiting for a response, she sent a tendril of water out to snap at his head. But he had already ducked and rolled away. His response was to send a wave of fire in her direction. She simply drew more water from the stream, creating a shield.

They moved together, as if they had done this hundreds of times before. Each could read the other's intentions as easily as breathing. They were perfectly in synch. The elements they controlled began to blend, making it difficult to say where one ended and where one began. It would have been beautiful to behold if any, other than the two benders, was there to witness it.

_What is he doing? He's calmer then he usually is. Normally he is more aggressive._ Katara flung one arm out in front of her, fingers spread wide, sending five darts of water out. Before they reached him she froze them into five deadly spears.

Zuko sent out flames, melting four of them. The fifth one, however, sliced his arm. He sent her a wicked grin. "First strike."

He ran towards her, flinging fire as he went. She moved her arms left to right, sweeping the flames away with waves of water. There was a break in his assault so she sent a water whip at his head. He dropped to the ground and swept her legs out from under her.

She landed flat on her back, the wind knocked out of her. Before she could regain her breath, Zuko pinned her down. He straddled her waist and held her wrists to the ground with his hands. "It seems I've won this rematch."

Katara wriggled underneath him, trying to throw him off, but his grip was firm. This close, she began to notice things about him. First was the sheer weight of him. He was heavier then he looked but he was careful not to crush her. Then there was his scent. Slightly smoky but clean. It reminded her of the fires her father would light on the cold nights back home. His hold on her hands was firm but gentle. His hands… his body… was warm, comforting. But it was his eyes that caught her. They had changed since she last saw him; they had lost their haunted look.

She realized she'd been staring and a flush spread over her cheeks. She scrambled for something to say. "You haven't won anything. We're not done yet."

He leaned in closer to her so that his breath tickled her cheek and her breathing hitched. "Well, it doesn't seem like you can do anything."

"What do you want? If you came for Aang, you would've left already." Her heart was beating rapidly and her voice was breathy.

He merely looked at her. "You're the one who said I was here for him. I never said anything."

Her gaze slid to his lips then flew back to his eyes, her breathing increased. His head moved closer to hers and her eyes slid shut in anticipation. "You're bending still needs work."

Her eyes flew open in shock and she flushed in anger. "Why you…"

"I'll be back when you're better." He rolled off her and sent a blast of fire high into the air. Katara just sat there, shocked and confused, and watched him move through the forest. She was still there when Aang and Sokka stormed into the clearing.

"Katara, are you alright?" Sokka had to shake her in order to gain her attention.

"I'm fine. But you'll never guess what happened."

"Fire Nation." The siblings turned to Aang.

"You too?"

He nodded. "It was weird. They showed up, attacked me and then left. I wasn't even really hurt."

Sokka snorted. "You think that's strange, listen to this. This guy shows up and starts to fight with me. Of course, I had no problem handling him." Both Aang and Katara rolled their eyes. "But all through it he was giving me tips. It was like I was in a training session. Odd. What about you Katara?"

She looked away to hide the blush gracing her cheeks. "Nothing really. Zuko and I fought nothing else."

"You fought with Zuko? Who won?"

"Sokka! That's not important. Let's eat and get some sleep. We'd better set watches tonight, I'll take first." Katara thought back to her meeting with the prince. _What did he really want? And what's wrong with me?_

_ > > > > > > > > > > > _

AN: Well that's it. Again, I'm sorry, but this was my first fight scene and I wanted it to be good. On another note… did you know that in Hebrew the name Atara means crown and Kitra means crowned? Are they trying to tell us something or am I reading too much into things? Anyways, thank you for reading and please review!


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Have you noticed that, besides Katara, Zula (who we haven't really seen), & some water healers, there are no female benders? Makes you wonder… Anyways, if you couldn't tell, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Ummm, it's late and I'm too tired to think of anything witty so, no, I don't own Avatar. I also don't own the song (poem) that Iroh sings. It's an ancient Chinese lyric poem written between 1000 BCE & 600 BCE called _Boat of Cypress_. Thank you classical lit class.

> > > > > > > > > > > > >

Zuko met up with his men at the assigned area. "Report. Anybody hurt?"

Lt. Jee stepped forward. "Two men unconscious, sir. That is all."

Zuko nodded. "Good. How did the Avatar fair?"

Jee gestured to one of the men behind him and he came forward. "Very well sir, though he never really took on more than two of us at a time. He kept us separated by using air and water. His airbending is superior but his water is still a little weak."

Zuko thought back to Katara. "He has a master for that so he will get stronger. What about the boy?"

"He did well, my lord. Not exactly up to Fire Nation standards but much improved since we first met him." Zuko noticed the pride in Jee's voice and looked at him questioningly. "The boy is around my son's age, sire."

Zuko nodded, finally understanding some of Jee's protectiveness and his confidence in him. _I must remind him of his son._

"If we double up, can those two men travel?" He indicated the unconscious men and received confirmation from Jee. "Then do it. We'll let their mounts trail behind. We need to meet up with the ship as soon as possible. Let's move out." There was a flurry of activity and the firebenders were gone as quickly as they came.

It wasn't long before they reached the ship. Iroh was there to greet them. He took one look at the men and ordered them all to sickbay for their minor bumps and scrapes then for food and rest. "So, nephew, how did it go?"

"It went fine, uncle." They both stood at the bow of the ship, looking out onto the ocean.

Iroh turned to look at his nephew. "You know that they will realize what you are doing, don't you? Why don't you just join up with them?"

Zuko let out a sigh but kept his eyes on the water. "I know. They're not stupid, at least, not all of them. They'll realize what we're doing soon enough but I don't think they'll accept it right away. Their minds won't let them. Besides, I'm not ready for things to change too much. There's been too much change already."

"Very well, nephew. I understand. So… how did the girl do?" Zuko's hands gripped the rail tightly and he fought down a blush but he remained silent. Iroh chuckled. "So she won, huh?"

"She did not!" Zuko whirled on his smiling relative.

"Come nephew, she's a very capable fighter so there's nothing to be ashamed of. In my youth, I would have liked to have a beautiful young woman best me."

Zuko looked horrified. "That wasn't something I needed or wanted to know, uncle. Besides, I won the rematch, not her."

"Not before she got in a few hits herself, I see." He indicated the slice across Zuko's arm.

"It's nothing, only a scratch."

"Well, scratch or no, you should get that checked. And, afterwards, we will celebrate a job well done. Music night!" Iroh started below deck followed by Zuko's heartfelt groan. "And I **suggest** you attend, Prince Zuko."

Later that night, the men gathered around the fire. Zuko leaned against the hull as far away from the group as he could and still be considered there. The sounds of instruments warming up created a discordant jangle of notes and then they fell silent. The silence was so think that Zuko could hear the beat of his heart. Then, Iroh's voice filled the void.

The boat of cypress drifts along,

it drifts upon the stream.

Restless am I, I cannot sleep,

as though in torment and troubled.

Nor am I lacking wine

to ease my mind and let me roam.

This heart of mine is no mirror,

it cannot take in all.

Yes, I do have brothers,

but brothers will not be my stay.

I went and told them of my grief

and met only with their rage.

This heart of mine is no stone;

you cannot turn it where you will.

This heart of mine is no mat;

I cannot roll it up within.

I have behaved with dignity,

in this no man can fault me.

My heart is uneasy and restless,

I am reproached by little men.

Many are the woes I've met,

and taken slights more then a few.

I think on it in the quiet,

and waking pound my breast.

Oh Sun! and you Moon!

Why do you each grow dim in turn?

These troubles of the heart

are like unwashed clothes.

I think on it in the quiet,

I cannot spread wings to fly away.

Zuko sighed. A sad song, a song about a woman who loses control of her life. Who is forced to do things against her will, against her own heart. _I was like that once. Never again. Never again will I allow myself to be used. I refuse to._ The music continued on for the rest of the night.

O.o.o.o.o.O

"Sokka, I swear, if you say that one more time…" It was early morning and the group had just finished breakfast.

Aang glanced to Sokka and whispered, "I really think you should drop it."

"Why? I just think it's funny that she could beat him in two seconds at the North Pole, but she lost here." He turned to Katara. "So, what happened? How could you lose to that guy? Aren't you supposed to be a Waterbending Master? You know, Katara, if you need my protection – Mmph!" He fell back, grasping at his mouth.

She had frozen his mouth shut with a handful of water. She stormed angrily out of camp, shouting back over her shoulder. "I'll unfreeze it when you can learn to shut up. And don't help him Aang."

Aang followed her with his eyes until she disappeared from sight. He sighed and walked over to Sokka. "I told you to drop it." Sokka gestured to his mouth but Aang shook his head. "Sorry, but there's no way I'm gonna do something to make her mad at me. Especially with the mood she's in. I wonder what's wrong."

A short while later, Katara returned. Without a word, she waved her hand and the ice fell from Sokka's face. Both boys threw a glance her way and saw the waves of anger flowing off of her. They gulped and Sokka shoved Aang forward. He had the least chance of getting killed. "What's wrong, Katara?"

"Nothing. Let's just get going." She grabbed their packs and threw them on Appa. The boys worked quickly, keeping as much distance from her as possible. Soon they were on Appa's back and flying over the land.

Katara sank against the saddle with a sigh. _Sokka's right. How could I let him beat me? I thought I'd gotten better then that._ She looked over the side of the saddle to see the ocean underneath and a thought occurred to her. _Since Aang will be busy, I can train non-stop. Maybe Sokka will be my sparing dummy?_

A giggle reached the ears of the two boys. Sokka just shook his head. "She's nuts."

O.o.o.o.o.O

The three leaned over Appa to look at the island below. "So that's Midori, huh?" Sokka looked less then impressed. The island was rather small, tiny in fact. A few homes dotted the area near the shore with a few fields further inland. "Where are we supposed to find the Earthbending Master?"

"How about there?" They followed her pointed finger to a larger house set in the center of the island, removed from the rest of the village. Next to the building was a glade with a pond and a large bare area, cleared of grass and trees. "Land there."

Appa circled lower and came down before the doorway and the lone figure standing there. A young woman approached them, her long red hair up in a braid. The trio jumped off Appa and went up to her. Aang bowed respectfully. She returned the gesture and smiled broadly. "Welcome, Avatar and companions, to Midori Island."

Katara and Sokka stepped back and let Aang handle the meeting. He was the one who needed to make a good impression. "Thank you. But how did you know who I was?"

"Well, there are not too many young men running around with a tattoo on his head and a ten ton bison for a companion. That, plus King Bumi sent word of your coming by a messenger bird as soon as you'd agreed. But come; let us go inside to talk." They followed her into a large room where various snacks were laid out. "Please, be seated."

Sokka began picking at the food, Katara wandered around the room and Aang just looked puzzled. "When are we meeting Master Ishi?"

"You just met her. I'm Ishi." Three pairs of eyes locked on the twenty year old woman in front of them.

"But, you're too young to be a master." Aang stammered.

She arched an eyebrow. "You're the Avatar and yet you're much younger than I am. It doesn't matter your age. What matters is how much you dedicate yourself to learning. Your friend there is a Water Master, I understand. Do you think less of her because of her age?" He shook his head. "I didn't think so. Trust me, I can teach you as well as any. King Bumi taught my father and my father taught me, so you're in good hands."

Aang gave her a lopsided grin. "So, when do we start?"

"I think tomorrow's soon enough. That will give you three time to settle down and familiarize yourselves with the island. You and I will practice in the field right outside the house. Sokka, there are young men in the village you can train and talk with. Katara, there are plenty of women your age there as well. Though, if you'd rather train, there is the water on the property and it's only a few minutes walk to the ocean."

"I'd rather train, thank you." Simple words, but they were spoken with such fierce determination that Ishi looked surprised.

"You're welcome to so what you like as long as you don't cause trouble. Let me show you to your rooms." She led them to three rooms in close proximity of each other and left them to their own devices.

Katara flopped down on her bed, playing the confrontation with Zuko over in her mind for the thousandth time that day. His words sounded in her ears, "Your bending still needs work… I'll be back when you're better." _How dare he? That arrogant, annoying jerk._ His eyes flashed in her mind and her heart beat increased. _There was something in them, something that was never there before. What was it?_

She let out a frustrated sound and rolled over on her stomach. "What is wrong with me?" Slowly she drifted off, a pair of golden eyes haunting her dreams.

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AN: When I was writing the scene between Zuko and Iroh I wanted to write, "It's just a flesh wound." But I thought it was too Monty Python so I stopped myself. Well, I hoped you liked it. Review please. I'll love you if you do. Till next time, TTFN.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Here's the next chapter up people. I've decided to change this into a normal Capture-Katara-as-Bait-to-Get-the-Avatar plot. Just kidding! I hope you enjoy reading it.

Disclaimer: Uhhhh… I've got nothin'. Except for this Zuko action figure that spits fire. Watch! (Pushes button on the back and it erupts like a blow torch.) Cool huh? Now, on to the story!

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"You need to focus, Aang. Try it again." It had been a week since they had arrived at Midori and Ishi was living up to Bumi's description; strict. She was working Aang hard, harder than Pakku even did.

"I'm trying but this is stupid. Why are we just working with pebbles? I have to learn the big stuff."

She sighed. "You have to walk before you can run, Aang. Earth is different then the other elements." She picked up four small rocks and spun them around her hand. "Air," she brought up one rock. "You must feel the joy of the wind playing with the leaves. Water," she brought up a second one. "Water is fluid so your movements must be fluid also. Fire," a third rock hung before Aang's face. "Fire is full of passion and life. This is why you must learn Earth first. Because Earth is steady, focused." She brought the fourth stone up and fused them together. "Without that control, Fire will consume you."

"I understand." He still remembered the last time he rushed to play with fire.

She watched as he took a thin layer of dirt and formed it into a stone. Satisfied with his work she let her gaze drift to the waterbender. "Keep working, Aang, I'll be right back."

She made her way over to Katara and watched her work. She watched her flow from stance to stance, as fluid as the element she controlled. Though her element was malleable, her will was anything but. Never had Ishi seen anyone more determined.

Katara's routine came to an end and she let the water slither back into the pond before plopping on the ground, panting from the exertion. Ishi joined her on the ground. "That was amazing. I never knew water could take so many forms. I've also never seen anyone as obsessed and determined as you are. May I ask why?"

Katara looked at her for a few moments, debating her answer. Finally, she shrugged and gazed back over the water. "I need to get better. That's all." Silence reigned until Katara continued. "There's some one I need to beat. I lost to him last time and I can't, I won't, lose again."

Ishi chuckled. "You make me glad I'm on your side. I'd hate to come against you in a fight. So, who's your opponent?" _Probably an ex-lover. It's gotta be something like that for there to be this much determination, this much emotion._

"Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation." The calm way she said this didn't allow the information to reach Ishi for a second. Then she was struck speechless. Katara almost laughed at the older woman's face. Her mouth hung open like a fish and her eyes were wide.

Quickly she regained her composure and refocused on the conversation. "You certainly aim high, don't you? I've heard of him, he has to be one of the best firebenders out there. I can see why you're working so hard."

"I just don't understand him." Katara spoke almost to herself.

Ishi waited for her to continue but it seemed she had fallen deep into thought. "What don't you understand?"

Katara started, realizing Ishi was still by her. "Zuko. I don't know why he's doing this. He believes in the need for balance, I know he does. Even after I've talked with him, he's still after Aang."

"Sometimes it's hard for people to change and sometimes it's harder for others to see that change. If he's as intelligent as you say he is, he'll come around." Again silence fell around them, but it was a comfortable silence.

"Do you think that fire and water can ever work together? Or are we destined to destroy each other?"

Ishi thought a moment before answering. "Fire thaws a body that has been too long cold and water cools one that has been far too hot."

Katara looked dejected. "So they can never coexist."

Ishi laughed softly. Katara looked at her questioningly. "That's not what I meant at all. They balance each other. Keep the other from going to extremes. Both elements have a destructive side and each can be used to heal. It depends on how the bender uses it."

Before the conversation could go further, a large mud ball landed directly on the two women. They wiped the mud from their faces as, in the distance, Aang called out an apology. Once their eyes were clear they sent him identical death glares. Aang, wisely, ran away at top speed.

O.o.o.o.o.O

Not far from the island, in a natural cove, sat Zuko's ship. Having just finished a training session, Zuko now paced the deck while Iroh sat by, drinking tea. "Prince Zuko; what is wrong?"

"Nothing, uncle. We just haven't done anything in a week. I'm not used to doing nothing."

Iroh let out a 'humph'. "Nothing? You've practically practiced non-stop. How is that nothing?"

"You know what I mean, uncle. We're not sailing, we're not hunting the Avatar, we're not doing anything." He let out a frustrated growl and continued pacing.

His uncle gave a light laugh. "Ahhh, the impatience of youth." He took a swallow of tea. "Makes me glad I'm not young anymore."

"I have patience, uncle. But we've been going non-stop for over two years now. I'm just not used to it." He remained stationary while thinking. "Uncle, tonight I'm taking one of the small boats and going to Midori. We need to keep track of the Avatar. Even if I don't see anything, at least the scenery will be different. I'll be below meditating till them." He headed below deck. Iroh smiled into his tea.

O.o.o.o.o.O

Later that evening, Katara stepped out onto the terrace. Across from her, Sokka was leaning on the railing, starring sadly up at the full moon. _Oh Sokka._ She walked up to him and hugged him from behind.

She felt the gentle rumble in his back as he began to speak; his voice sad and distant. "It's been a month. A month since I lost her. I should be happy, proud. But I'm not." His voice lowered to a whisper. "I miss her."

Katara didn't know what to do for him, didn't know what to say. So she hugged him tighter. "Of course you miss her. You're allowed to. She was your first love; she'll always be in your heart. But she's still with you. All you have to do is look up and you'll see her."

She gave him a final hug and went down the steps but stopped halfway. "I know it's hard to hear, but that was her destiny. There was nothing **anyone** could do."

His voice drifted down to her. "I know, but that doesn't make it any easier."

She headed for the ocean; she needed to be surrounded by her element. Things had been so muddled lately, she needed time to relax and clear her mind.

The moon rose high over the ocean, making the waves appear almost like crystals. She let out a content sigh and waded, waist deep, into the water. She moved her arms slowly, making the water dance about her body. She closed her eyes and just let the water move as it wished. This wasn't a training session, she wasn't doing drills, this was for her peace of mind.

It was in this surreal state that Zuko found her. He had been moving down the beach, looking for the Avatar's residence when he came upon her. He was captivated by the beauty before him. He remembered the stories the sailors told, about sea maidens who would tempt the unwary to their doom. He had always scoffed at such stories, at the weakness of the men in them. But, if she called to him now, he didn't think he could resist her temptation.

_She's beautiful._ The moonlight cascaded down on her unbound hair and the reflection off the water gave her an ethereal glow. Her moves were graceful, almost sensual, as the water moved around her body, caressing her form. And, for the first time in his life, the young prince was too stunned to move, too stunned to think. He could only stare at the vision before him.

A long while later, Katara let the water slide back into the ocean. She slowly raised her eyes to the moon, stretched her arms out and dove beneath the surface. The total submersion completed her connection to her element and washed away the rest of the tension in her body.

It also broke Zuko from her spell. He moved closer to the edge of the water and waited for her to emerge. _Let's see what she's been doing for the last week._ A wicked smile crossed his face as he waited for his water maiden to return.

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AN: To all those Yue fans, I'm sorry but I prefer Suki. Yue was too subservient and docile to be for Sokka, he needs a stronger woman who wouldn't be afraid to beat him across the head when he's being an idiot. Besides, Suki's name means 'loved one' and that's enough of a hint for me. Well, I hope you all liked the chapter. Tell me what you thought. (Cough REVIEW Cough).


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Nothing much to say. I hope this is a fast enough post for all you who said I was cruel. That was never my intention. But here's the next chapter and it's all Zuko/Katara. Enjoy!

Disclaimer/Digs around in an old box/ Thingy, whoseits, whatsits, thingamajig, doohickey…hmmm, no Avatar. I guess I don't own it.

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Katara pushed herself to the surface and blinked the water and salt out of her eyes. There was some one on the shore but her eyes were still blurry. "Sokka?" No answer. She drew he hand across her eyes to clear the water away. The figure on the sand came into focus and her eyes narrowed. "Zuko."

"Not very smart to leave yourself open like this. Especially considering the outcome of our last battle. Don't you know, little girls need to be protected?" He smirked as he watched her wade to the shore.

The smirk didn't last long though. It slipped as she fully emerged from the water. Her quick swim had left her clothes clinging to her, rather revealingly. A slight flush touched his cheeks and he averted his gaze as she bended the water out of her clothes.

"I don't need any help to beat you." He turned back to her and looked her up and down. Her clothes and hair were now dry and her eyes burned bright with determination. "What are you doing here?"

His smirk returned. "Just taking in the sights."

She flushed when she realized what he meant. Her eyes narrowed and she gathered a globe of water in her hands. "I'll ask you once more. What are you doing here?"

"Do you think you can challenge me, little girl? You must have a short memory because I remember winning our last fight. Let's see what you've done this past week." He dropped into a fighting stance.

She was furious. _How dare he, pompous ass. I'd like to wipe that smirk off his face._ She threw the ball at him. Knowing he would dodge it, she didn't waste any time. A large wave rose behind her and crashed towards him.

He brought up a shield of flame that dissipated some of the water. The rest knocked him off his feet. He rolled, avoiding a particularly vicious water whip. He surged to his feet and ran at her, flinging fire as he ran.

Katara narrowed her eyes. _I don't think so, not this time._ She brought water around her, creating a shield so strong that he couldn't penetrate it. He needed to change his tactics. He dashed to the side and sent a wave of fire blazing towards her.

She dissolved her shield and whirled out of the way, sending a geyser of water surging towards him. He barely managed to get out of the way. _Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea._ He ducked and a water whip snapped over his head. _She's surrounded by her element._ A spear of ice grazed his cheek. _It's a full moon._ He ducked and rolled out of the way of her attack. _And she's pissed._

Katara saw his smirk and grew even angrier. She let out a frustrated cry and brought a wave down of him. He didn't have time to move and was knocked off his feet. As soon as his back touched the sand, she froze him in place.

The ice covered his entire body to his neck and his wrists. She stood over his immobile form, breathing heavily from the fight. He couldn't move his arms to bend, his hands couldn't reach the ice, and his head was forced down on the sand. "I'd say I won this round. Now tell me, what are you doing here?"

He gritted his teeth and tried to melt the thick sheet of ice encasing him. He concentrated on slowly raising his body temperature so that she wouldn't notice. "What do you think I'm doing?"

She drew a small sphere of water and knelt by his side. She searched his face, his eyes, but the coldness wasn't there anymore. There was still determination and honor but no longer that soul searing pain. "I don't know. If you wanted Aang, you'd have had him by now. If you wanted to hurt us, it would've happened already. I don't understand you."

He tried to squirm out of the ice and she tensed but relaxed again when it held. He glared at her the best he could from his current position. "I don't need you to understand me, Katara." She was surprised to hear her name on his lips.

"I may not understand you but I respect you. You're a good man; determined, intelligent, honorable. You know how to fix what's wrong with the world, you know what needs to happen. Why don't you do it?" Her voice lowered, almost as if she were speaking to herself. "Have you changed? Am I just not seeing it?"

Suddenly, the ice around him shattered. He was on his feet again in an instant and so was she. But she didn't need to worry. Exhausted, he fell to his knees in the sand. First the fight then the slow build up of power had left him drained.

Instinct overcame Katara's good sense and she rushed to his side. The healer in her pushed to the surface and she began to heal the few small wounds he received during their fight. Afterwards, they both remained kneeling in the sand, close to each other.

"I'm still fighting a war." Katara watched him closely, waiting for him to continue. "I'm fighting for me, for my crew… for home. I can't let this world be destroyed."

"Zuko?" He turned and his molten eyes burned into hers.

"I can't let my father, the Fire Lord, continue what he's doing. If he isn't stopped, there will be nothing left of this world. Nothing I care about will survive." His eyes were so intense, his voice so serious, that Katara was shocked.

"Are you joining us? Are you joining Aang?" _Are you joining me?_ Her heart quickened its pace and she waited breathlessly for his answer.

"If I was, would I be welcomed?"

She lowered her eyes to the beach and a light blush touched her cheeks. _This can't be happening. This isn't happening. This isn't real. It's only a dream._ As inconspicuously as she could, she pinched herself; hard. _Ow! This isn't a dream._

She looked up to find him watching her intently. "I would welcome you and so would Aang. But Sokka… he would be harder to convince. But what about your uncle, your crew? What about them?"

He reached his hand up and pushed a tendril of hair behind her ear, letting his fingers lightly trace her jaw line. Her breathing hitched and she barely stopped herself from leaning into his touch. "They're already working with me against the Fire Lord. We're already working with you, just unofficially. It would make no difference if it becomes official."

She blinked. "Helping us? You mean our last fight? We all thought there was something odd about that but we didn't think…"

"You weren't supposed to. At least, not right away. It seemed like a good idea at the time but, we all knew it couldn't last long. So, what happens now?" He sat cross legged on the beach, looking out over the ocean.

She sat next to him and drew her knees up to her chest. "I don't know. Aang still needs to learn earthbending and to master waterbending. Then he needs to learn fire." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "After that, he needs to get to the Fire Lord."

"What was that about Sozen's comet?" She looked at him, shocked.

"How did you know about that?"

He rolled his eyes. "Every firebender knows about the comet, at least, the noble ones do. What I want to know is, what does it have to do with the Avatar?"

Katara remained silent for a moment. "Aang needs to defeat the Fire Lord before the comet comes or all is lost."

Zuko turned to her in shock. "Then what the hell is taking him so long!"

Katara growled at his angry tone. "We would've reached the North sooner if some crazy, spoiled prince hadn't kept getting in our way. Trying to blast us out of the sky every time we turned around."

He clenched his fists. "I'm not crazy and I'm certainly not spoiled. It isn't my fault that you aren't intelligent enough to evade me."

She jumped to her feet in anger. "Why you… you…" She let out an exasperated cry and stormed down to the edge of the water. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. _This is going to take some getting used to._ "We can't keep fighting. If we keep on like this we'll kill each other before we even speak to Aang."

She turned to find him watching her, like a cat eyeing a particularly tasty morsel. Zuko got to his feet and stalked slowly towards her. She held her ground as he stopped very close to her. "When are you going to talk to him?"

"I don't know. He needs to concentrate right now, I don't want this to distract him. But we can't wait too long or he won't be ready."

"Give him another week. He'll have a better grasp on earthbending and you'll have time to bring him around to the idea."

Katara peered at him closely. "But should I? How do I know I can trust you?"

He gripped her arms and his eyes bore into hers. They stood as they stood in the oasis. "I swear to you, on my honor, that the Avatar, Aang, will not come to harm from me or my men. I give you my oath, Katara."

She held his gaze. "You once told me you had no honor."

He smirked. "And you said that no one could take my honor from me. It was up to me to decide what to do with it. Well, I've decided. I will protect what I care for." He tucked another strand of hair behind her ear then returned his hand to its previous position.

She licked her suddenly dry lips and gently pushed out of his arms. "I should be getting back. They'll be wondering what happened to me." She turned to leave but his grip on her hand stopped her. She turned to look at him questioningly.

"Meet me back here, tomorrow night. We can talk more…about what to do." She nodded and left. Before she was out of earshot, she heard him one last time. "Till tomorrow night, my siren."

A faint blush tinted her cheeks and she ran to the house. Sokka was still on the terrace when she ran up the stairs. "Where've you been?"

"The ocean."

He cocked his head. "What were you doing there for so long?"

The faint blush came back, a little darker. "…bending. I was just, bending." She hurried past him to her room, where she plopped on the bed and covered her eyes with her hand.

_This is crazy. But what if it's real? He swore on his honor. But can I trust that?_ But of that she was sure. He swore on his honor and he would never break that oath.

_I believe in him. Now, if only I can convince Sokka…_ She readied herself for bed, morning would come soon enough. She drifted to sleep, thoughts of her prince echoing in her mind.

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AN: I don't have anything really to say. Tell me what you thought. Review Please!


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Sorry, ran into a bit of a creative slump. Hopefully it's better now though. Read on good people and enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I did, we wouldn't be waiting so long for new episodes. March 17th One Week People!

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"Katara, what's up with you?" Ishi stood behind her, studying her moves as she practiced.

"Huh?" Katara barely paused in what she was doing.

"Your style is different. It seems… more playful, happy even. It's just odd not seeing you so obsessed. What happened?"

Katara sent the water streaming into the pond and walked over to Ishi, who was watching Aang. "Nothing really. It's just that the future doesn't look so bleak anymore."

Ishi misunderstood her. "I agree. He's doing quite well. Aang's a fast learner, if you can gain his attention long enough. It won't be long before he masters this."

"Ishi?" The older woman gave a nod of her head to show she was listening. "What will you do after Aang masters earthbending, after we leave?"

"I'll fight, I suppose. I don't have any military training, so I wouldn't be a commander. I'll probably join the ranks. A good bender can make the difference in a fight. The more of my people I can help to survive, the better. Why do you ask?"

"Aang will be facing the Fire Lord soon and he'll need all the allies there he can get. Allies from **all **nations. As you said, a good bender can make all the difference. The fight will be difficult, no doubt about it, but, if he has the right support I really believe he can do this."

"Are you asking me to come with you?"

Katara paused for a moment. "I suppose I am." She laughed softly. "It'd be nice to have another girl around to talk to. Sometimes I don't know if I'm a sister and friend or a mother." They laughed loudly. Katara calmed down and looked into the green eyes of her newfound friend. "Just think about it."

"Think about what?" The girls turned to see Aang approach them, covered in mud and dirt.

An evil grin crossed Katara's face. "You're filthy; you really should get cleaned up." She sent a spray of water at him. He diverted it away from himself but his triumphant smile faded when it hit Ishi straight in the face.

The two young benders froze, waiting to see how she would react. She dried her face with her sleeve and looked coldly down at them. She slowly raised her arms, there was a squelch behind them and soon they were covered in mud. She gave them a satisfied smirk. "Pay back."

Soon the sparring field erupted into a scene of chaos as the three benders started a free-for-all. Laughs and startled screams traveled over the island as they got in as many shots as they could.

Eventually, they dropped to the field; exhausted, laughing, wet and dirty. They turned to see Sokka doubled over, laughing by the pond. "You guys look absolutely ridiculous." The three looked to each other then looked to Sokka. A blast of air, water and earth sent him splashing into the pond. He came up spluttering. "That's not funny guys!"

O.o.o.o.o.O

"Uncle, I'm taking the skiff out tonight."

Iroh cocked an eyebrow. "That's the fourth time in a row. If you're not careful, you'll ruin our cover." Zuko was silent. "Or do we not have a cover to ruin? Have you talked to the Avatar yet?"

"Not the Avatar, no." Iroh leaned back, crossed his ankles and folded his hands on his prominent belly.

"So who have you been talking to, dear nephew? I'll bet my lotus tile it's a certain waterbender."

Zuko growled and turned his back on him. "It's not like that, uncle. We've just talked about what we're going to do after we join them."

"Four days and that's all you've talked about?" Iroh sat up in the chair and looked at Zuko, who was determinedly avoiding his gaze.

"There was a small difficulty in the beginning."

A smile threatened to crack Iroh's serious façade. "You fought, didn't you?" Zuko gave a solemn nod. Iroh fought the smile lifting the corners of his mouth. "She beat you badly. Didn't she, nephew?"

"Uncle!" Fire accompanied this shout and Zuko stormed below deck.

The smile overtook Iroh's face. "That's what I thought." His laughter echoed throughout the entire ship.

O.o.o.o.o.o.O

"Hey Aang." She walked up to Appa and stroked his head while Aang fed him. She looked out the open doorway and her heart fluttered. It was almost sundown.

"Katara!" She jumped and turned to look at him.

"Yes?"

He laughed. "I've been talking to you for five minutes. What were you thinking about?"

She turned red. "N…nothing. What were you saying?"

He laughed and gave Appa one last load of hay. "I wanted to know what you and Ishi were talking about earlier."

"I asked her if she would come with us after you learned the basics. It would be good to have the extra help."

He thought for a moment. "I don't see why not. She's not bad, especially when she's not teaching. 'Cause then she's a slave driver." They both laughed.

When they stopped, Katara pressed on. "How are you going to learn firebending, Aang?"

He shrugged. "I suppose I'll have to find Jeong Jeong again."

"What if you can't find him? He went into hiding, didn't he?"

His shoulders slumped. "You're right. What am I gonna do Katara? He's the only Fire Master I know who wouldn't try to fry me in an instant."

"What if there's someone else?" He looked confused so she rushed on. "What if there's someone who doesn't agree with Fire Lord? He could teach you. I mean, there aren't so many rebel firebenders that we could turn him down. Beggars can't be choosers. And it's not as if we don't know him. He's certainly determined and he'll be committed to our goal. He's very talented."

"Katara! Clam down. You're talking so fast I can hardly understand you. Who are you talking about?" He laughed. "It almost sounds like you're talking about Zuko." His laughter slowly died as he realized she wasn't joining in. His mouth dropped open. "You can't be serious!"

She took a breath and looked him directly in the eye. "I know it sounds crazy, but I think it's a good idea. He's changed. Somewhere between what happened with Zhao and my conversation with him and now made him realize hunting you is wrong. He could really help us. You, yourself, said he wasn't all bad."

Aang plopped down on the ground, thinking about what she said. "It's kinda hard to believe."

She knelt beside him. "I know it is. But I really think he means to help us. Think. At our last fight wasn't everything weird? He was testing us. Showing us where out weaknesses were so we could overcome them."

Aang looked at her. "Do you trust him?"

She nodded. "He gave me his word, Aang. He swore to me on his honor." A small smile crossed her face. "I trust him." Aang heaved a large sigh and concentrated on the floor. "It's okay, Aang. You don't have to decide right away. We still have time." She reached over and gave him a brief hug. "See you later." She returned to the house, leaving him to think on the offer. Besides, it was almost time for her to leave. It was after sundown.

An hour later, she was walking on the terrace where she saw Sokka again. He turned to her and crossed his arms over his chest. "And where do you think you're going?"

"To the ocean." He shook his head. "You've been going there every night. You're way too obsessed."

She put her hands on her hips. "Well, at least I'm smart enough to put a coat on when it gets cold."

"Yeah, well…yeah." Sokka sputtered, trying to find a comeback.

She brushed past him, going down the stairs. As she reached the ground, she called back over her shoulder. "Put on a coat!"

"Nag!"

"Idiot!"

Sokka smiled. There was no one like his sister.

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AN: I'm hesitating on putting Azula in here until I get a feel for her character. I've seen too many personalities for her; from weak to pure evil. I'm leaning towards something in the middle. But anyone who could look on and smile as their brother gets mutilated has to be pretty evil. That or extremely sadistic. Anyways, tell me what you thought of the chapter. Review please!


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Yea! Over one hundred reviews. /Spazes out/ Ahem, I hope nobody saw that. It's March 17th! New episodes! I thought I'd get this up before the showing tonight. I'm so psyched! Anyways, I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: By now you should realize that I don't own this show. But, someday, my plans of world domination will come to fruition and then, I will. You have been warned. /Men in white coats come to take the author away/

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Katara ran the rest of the way to the beach. She stood there, looking up and down the sand for Zuko. He emerged from the shadows behind her. "You're late."

She sketched him a mock bow. "I beg your pardon, your highness. We peasants have been known to lose track of time." He rolled his eyes and walked towards her.

She ignored him and took up her normal seat on the beach, waiting for him to join her before continuing. "I talked to Aang."

He raised a brow. "The Avatar? What did he decide?"

"He didn't decide anything yet."

He turned to her abruptly. "We don't have time to waste fooling around."

She glared back. "It's a lot for him to take in. Especially considering our history."

He shrugged. "I _suppose_ you _may_ have a point."

"I'm glad your highness approves." He growled and turned to her.

"I'm getting tired of your sarcasm and attitude." Her voice rose in shock and anger.

"_My_ attitude! What about yours? You come in here and think you can start ordering everyone around. We were fine before you showed up." She got to her feet and stared angrily down at him.

He rose as well, instinct not letting him remain in the vulnerable position. "I'm not trying to order anyone around. All I'm trying to do is keep everything on track. We don't have time for you to get distracted."

She clenched her fists. "I don't get distracted!" She was practically breathing fire, herself, as they stood toe to toe. She forced her hands open and stepped back, breathing heavily. "We're definitely gonna have to work on this."

He narrowed his eyes. "Well, you shouldn't be so touchy."

She poked him in his chest; his armorless chest. She blinked, momentarily distracted by the feel, before resuming her train of thought. "Well, you shouldn't be so hot headed." She held up a hand to prevent further comments. "That's enough of this. This is definitely a distraction we don't need."

His reply was a surly, "Fine". Silence descended and she struggled to find something to say, not entirely comfortable with his eyes on her. Not afraid, just not comfortable.

She turned to fully face him, just as he did the same. He was close, closer then she thought, and she jumped back slightly in surprise. Her foot caught on a stone and she began to fall backwards. Zuko's quick reflexes prevented her fall.

He wasn't gentle, he wasn't thinking of anything but catching her. He grabbed her arms and pulled her roughly to his chest. They stood there, in the moonlight, closer then they had ever been. Their hearts still pounding from before. Then they noticed their positions.

And, yet, they stayed as they were. It felt right. She moved closer, placing her palms on his chest, sliding them around his neck. His hands slid down her arms to rest firmly on her hips. Eyes drifted down to lips, tracing their shape, before returning to the other's eyes, one thought on both their minds. _I wonder what they feel like, what they taste like?_

He pulled her closer, lowering his head to meet hers as she tilted it up. They stopped, a mere inch between them, the other's breath tickling their lips, to see if the other would protest. When no sound of complaint was made, they closed their eyes and moved to close the small distance between them.

But their lips never met.

"Katara!" The couple sprang apart as a wall of earth erupted from the ground between them. Katara spun to see Ishi running down the beach. "Are you alright? I saw a Fire Nation boat and heard shouting, so I came as fast as I could. Is that the prince?"

"Yes but…" Zuko broke through the wall. He was angry at being attacked and embarrassed at being caught in such a situation. Not a good combination. His hands blazed with fire as he approached them.

Ishi dropped into a stance. "Run up to get Aang. I'll hold him off."

Without waiting for an answer, she sent a wave of earth at the prince. He dodged her easily. She smirked when he made no move to attack. "What's the matter, little boy? Afraid of fighting a woman?"

Her insults had the desired effect, he charged her. Rock after rock flew up to meet the fire he sent her way. He dodged the boulders she sent hurtling towards him. They matched each other, strike for strike, until Katara called out. "Would you two idiots stop!"

Zuko stopped his assault but Ishi was too deep in the fight. She sent a large rock hurtling towards him. Katara didn't think she just acted. She stepped in front of Zuko and brought up a shield of ice. But, where water will stop fire, it has a much harder time stopping earth. Ishi tried to pull back but it was too late. The rock smashed through the shield and slammed into Katara, sending her flying.

A few minutes later, she opened her eyes to see Zuko peering down at her. "Are you alright?"

She lied still a few seconds, taking stock of her aches and pains. Her chest hurt from the impact but not as badly as she expected. Other then that, nothing actually hurt. "I'll be fine. Where's Ishi?"

"I'm right here and I'm sorry." With Zuko's help, Katara sat up and looked over to her friend, smiling in forgiveness. Ishi pinned her with her gaze. "But I think you have some explaining to do." Ishi took note of how Zuko supported her, how Katara leaned against him. With complete trust in the other. _Probably unconsciously done on their parts._ "Wasn't he the one you were training like crazy to beat?"

Heat touched Katara's cheeks as Zuko looked down at her. "I didn't have to train that hard." She mumbled. She pushed herself into a sitting position, wincing slightly in pain. "Sit down and relax. This might take a while."

O.o.o.o.o.O

Ishi looked slightly confused. "Let me get this straight. You're with him." Katara flushed. "He's decided to help us defeat the Fire Lord, yes." Ishi cocked an eyebrow. _Girl talk later_. "Does Aang know?" Katara nodded. "And he's okay with it?"

Katara thought about how to form her response. "I've talked with him about it today, but he hasn't made a decision yet." She looked her friend in the eye. "It's a lot for him to think about."

Ishi was quiet for a moment. "What about Sokka?"

Katara grimaced. "I have no idea. He knows we'll need to find a Fire Master soon but I don't think he's actually realized that means dealing with firebenders." The present firebender snorted disdainfully.

Katara sent him a death glare. Only she was allowed to make fun of Sokka. That was a sibling's privilege. "It's not like your people have made things easy for us. Plus, after Zhao's little trick and Yue's… Never mind. It's just not going to be easy to convince him to go along with this."

Ishi smiled. "Sokka's smart. Or at least, he's not completely thick headed. He'll come around." She stood and walked over to where Zuko stood behind Katara. She looked him up and down, taking his measure. She decided she liked what she saw. _He'll do._

She held out her hand which he, slowly, took. "If you've earned Katara's respect, you have mine. It will be an honor to fight alongside you." She turned to Katara, giving her a wink hidden from him. "I'll talk to you later." With that, she headed towards the house.

Leaving them on the beach. Alone in the moonlight. Katara smiled as she stood next to him. "I think she likes you. Which is good because you wouldn't want her as an enemy." Another snort was his only reply. "You know, we really need to work on your people skills."

"Humph. What for?" She shook her head. "You're part of a team now." She smiled up at him. "You're not alone anymore." He looked down into her face and felt those feelings wash over him again; peace and an urge to close the distance between them.

And, now that he could think about it, it scared him. "I don't need your sympathy, peasant." She narrowed her eyes in anger. Good. At least he knew how to deal with her anger.

"What I was offering was friendship. But I suppose that's something you wouldn't understand. I'll be back tomorrow with Aang's answer. If you could stand to have us join you, that is."

She made her way home, leaving him in the dark.

O.o.o.o.o.O

Katara had just sat down in her room when she heard a knock at her door. Ishi leaned against the frame looking half concerned and half mischievous. "May I come in?" Katara stepped aside to let her pass. Ishi sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Katara. "So, what's with you and the prince?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Katara moved to the foot of the bed to go through the trunk there. There wasn't much in it. It wasn't like she had many belonging but, at the moment, it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Oh come on! I'm not blind. I saw you two. I might have been too worried at the time to think about it but that doesn't mean I didn't realize what you were doing. You were in his arms, you were almost kissing. And, afterwards, the way you leaned into him, the way he held you. Plus the fact that you jumped in front of a boulder to save him. There's gotta be something there."

"It was nothing. I almost fell and he caught me. Nothing more. He's an ally now, so of course I would save him. And I was tired and sore so I had no choice but to lean on him. Happy now?" She slammed the lid of the trunk shut and walked to the window.

Ishi's voice went from teasing to serious. "I know there's more to it then that. There was perfect trust between you two. And I saw how you looked at him. If you're worried about me telling anyone don't be. I give you my word I won't."

Katara sighed and joined her on the bed. "I don't know what to think. One minute, we're fighting, the next he's looking at me like he'd devour me whole. First I'd like to smack him, then I want nothing more then to kiss him. And, when I finally think we can be friends, he pushes me away." She let out a groan and dropped her head into her hands. "It was easier before. At least then I knew what to do, what to feel. Now I'm just confused and I hate it."

Ishi laughed. "Don't worry. I bet he's just as confused as you are. Probably more so. Men tend to be idiots when it comes to emotions. Just give both of you time to figure out what's going on. And, if he's taking too long, I'll beat him up for you."

Katara smiled, a small one, and leaned over to give her friend a hug. "Thank you."

Ishi walked to the door. Before she left, however, she couldn't resist on last tease. "Nice choice, by the way. Very cute." She shut the door just in time to avoid the pillow being chucked at her head.

> > > > > > >

AN: Has anyone ever seen Witch Hunter Robin? It's an awesome series. Somewhat dark but really good. You could always go and read the couple of things I wrote to get a feel for it. /coughShamelessPlugcough/ See what you people have done to me. I'm now a review whore! I'm addicted. That said…please review!


	12. Chapter 12

AN: First, huge, heartfelt thanks to Rashaka for pointing out my English 101 error. I'm so embarrassed. I apologize if anyone was confused because of it. Chapter 11 is fixed and, eventually, I will go back to fix the previous chapters as well. Second, I know this was a long time in coming but I've come up against writer's block. Actually, it's more like a granite wall. I'm trying to work through it though and I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

> > > > > > >

Katara groaned as someone banged on her door. It was early and she hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, her mind wouldn't let her. She rolled onto her stomach and covered her head with a pillow. _Maybe, if I ignore them, they'll go away._ The banging continued.

Apparently, the person behind the door couldn't wait any longer. Aang burst through the door. "Katara." She curled deeper into the blankets. "Katara!" She groaned and hugged the pillow closer to her head. Aang frowned; she was never this hard to wake up. He gave her one of his boyish grins. "Wakey wakey, Katara."

He airbended, lifting the blankets in the air and hitting her with cold wind. "Aieee! Aang, there are better ways to wake people up."

He bounced on the bed next to her. "Well, if you were up when you normally were, I wouldn't have had to wake you." She glared at him. "Aren't you grumpy this morning?"

"What is so important that it couldn't wait?"

He looked down at the floor. "I've made my decision." She looked at him, waiting for him to continue. As the silence stretched, she barely prevented herself from shaking the answer out of him. He let out a huge sigh and continued. "We should join him."

"You don't sound so sure, Aang. What's bothering you?"

"I'm not nervous about it, not really. It's just that it's odd." He was quiet for a moment. "You know I asked him once, if it was a hundred years ago, could we have been friends."

"And what did he say?"

"He didn't say anything. He attacked me, but he didn't say anything. And now…" He shrugged.

"I know it's weird and it'll take a while to get used to everything but it's for the best. Even if he is a cocky, arrogant…" She took a deep breath to calm down. He wasn't a _total_ jerk last night. She blushed when she remembered how close they had been. She sighed. "He isn't so bad. He just isn't easy to understand."

He nodded. "So, how are we gonna tell Ishi and Sokka?"

Katara winced and dropped her head into her hands. "Ishi already knows and she seems okay with the idea. But she actually hasn't come and said that she'll join us either. And Sokka, well I don't see him taking this very well. But Ishi's right. He's smart, he'll come around. Eventually."

Aang flashed her a smile. "Fine. But you're telling him." He ducked the pillow flung at him and ran out the door.

O.o.o.o.o.O

She worked her frustration out at the pond. But, as Sokka approached her, she let most of the water slide back in. "Not playing in town today?"

He stuck his tongue out at her. "You're not the only one who's been working, you know. I've been very busy." He struck a pose. "Yup." He flexed his muscles causing her to laugh. "You're looking at the best fighter in the village."

"Ahhh. No one older then ten, huh?" She struggled to keep a straight face.

He deflated. "That was cold." He laid down in the grass. "So, who put the fish in your parka?" She turned to him, a question in her eyes. He snorted. "I'm not blind. What's wrong?"

She sat next to him and played with a water ball. "We need to find a Fire Master soon. And we don't have many options."

"What about that old guy from before?"

"We don't know where he went. He went into hiding, remember?"

"Fine. So, what's the plan then?"

She swallowed visibly. "Aang and I think we've found a teacher. Plus a few other people who will go up against the Fire Lord with us."

"Great. The more the merrier. As long as it's not that jerk of a prince. I mean, could you imagine working with him? I'd rather kiss Appa." He looked at the expression on her face. She looked like she ate a bad leachy nut. His jaw dropped. "Please tell me you're joking. You can't be serious!"

"Pucker up, lover boy, 'cause you're kissing Appa."

"No! There's no way we're joining up with him. We're not going with some psycho firebender who's been after us since the very beginning!" He was on his feet and shouting in her face.

She shouted right back. "I trust him and so does Aang. Isn't that good enough for you?"

"We've already seen what happens when we follow your instincts about a guy. We can't afford that. Not now and not with him. Jet was easy for you to beat and his plan wasn't that hard to stop either. Zuko's different. You won't be able to stop him so easily."

"Sokka, I know I made a mistake with Jet but don't you think I've learned since then. And Zuko's not Jet. He's upfront with what he wants and what he thinks. We can trust him."

"What are you talking about? He's scum, all firebenders are."

"How can you say that? What about Jeong Jeong or Iroh?" She reached up and put her hand on his shoulder but he jerked away.

"It's because of Iroh that Yue's gone."

She was taken aback by his harsh tone. "You're wrong. It wasn't Iroh's fault. The real person to blame is Zhao. It was his actions, his plan. Iroh tried to stop him."

"And what was Zhao? A firebender! They're power hungry and crazy, all of them. And you want to join these freaks?" She grabbed his arm and forced him to look at her.

"I know you're angry and I know you're upset, but you can't judge an entire people by the actions of a few. It was Zhao, and Zhao alone, who destroyed the moon spirit. Iroh tried to stop him. You heard him, there needs to be a balance, all the elements working in harmony in order for the world to survive. And it was Yue's choice to do what she did. She may not have wanted it to happen, but she pushed aside her own doubts to do what was needed." She looked him in the eye. "I hope you will too."

She walked away from him, leaving him to sulk. Just inside the doorway, she bumped into Ishi. She reached out a gentle hand to touch the younger girl's shoulder. "It will be alright." Katara nodded in recognition and continued on. But before she got too far, Ishi spoke once more. "I'm coming with you."

Katara glanced over her shoulder at the woman who stood, framed by sunlight, in the doorway. "Thank you, my friend."

Ishi turned to her, smiling and winked. "Just don't forget to tell me when we leave." Katara laughed and continued her way through the house, feeling much lighter then she had in a long time.

O.o.o.o.o.O

Iroh watched his nephew leaning on the rail at the bow of the ship. _He's been quiet since last night. I wonder what happened._ Iroh leaned beside his nephew. "You haven't yelled once today, Zuko. The crew's worried."

"Not now uncle." His voice was tense, worried.

Iroh looked at his nephew's profile closely. "What's wrong?"

Zuko took in a deep breath. Almost as if he was scenting the air. "I don't know. Something's just not right." He started to walk below deck but stopped halfway. "Keep the men at their stations tonight. I want everything ready if there's a problem."

He continued on his way. Iroh sniffed, the scent of change was in the air.

O.o.o.o.o.O

"You're heading out to see him. So you want me to come with you?" Sokka and Katara were standing on the terrace, waiting for darkness to descend.

"It's fine Sokka. I'm perfectly safe with him."

He grunted. "I don't like it, I don't trust him. Someone should go with you." She smiled but shook her head. "At least take Momo. He won't be mush help but at least he's something. Ow!" A nut bounced off the back of his head as said lemur scuttled over the roof.

"I'll be fine Sokka, we've met alone before and nothing happened. So relax." She gave him a smile but his frown only deepened.

"I don't like you being alone with him. What if he tries something? He's a teenager and teenage boys get ideas."

"Speaking from experience?" He turned bright red but opened his mouth to continue the lecture. She cut him off. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Now, enough with the lecture. I'll be back later and don't worry. Nothing will happen that I don't want to happen."

He watched her leave with a worried gaze. "That's what I'm afraid of."

O.o.o.o.o.O

She arrived at the small inlet just in time to see the skiff arrive. He dropped anchor and vaulted over the side to land with a small splash in the water. He stalked towards her and sat be her side.

She let the companionable silence stretch. The corner of her mouth lifted._ If someone told me a few weeks ago that I'd be here with him, I'd say that they were crazy._ She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. _I'm happy though._

"What did the Avatar decide?" His voice was sharp, cutting through the peace like a knife.

_Way to ruin the mood._ "First, his name's Aang. Use it. Or we could always call you prince." He gave her a low growl in reply. "Just as you like to hear your name, he wants to hear his. It's what marks us as human."

He smirked. "Fine, Aang then."

She smirked right back. "We'll join you; Aang, Sokka, Ishi and myself. Plus Appa and Momo."

He scowled. "Great, more tag-alongs."

"You'll get used to it. And we'll try not to bother your majesty too much." He shot her a look at her sarcastic tone. "When do we leave?"

"Give him a few days to learn more then…"

"Katara!" Ishi tore over the sand, waving her hands franticly to gain their attention. "Fire Nation! They've just come ashore and they're searching the village."

"That's impossible! The rumors I sent out should have kept them from finding the Avatar."

Ishi turned to him. "She's not looking for the Avatar."

Katara blinked in confusion. "Then who are they searching for?"

"She's looking for the prince. Him and his uncle."

Katara scrambled for the trees. "Where are the boys? How far are the firebenders from the house?"

Ishi and Zuko ran behind her. "The boys are gathering what supplies they can and the benders have stopped in the village. They're doing a house to house search."

They met Sokka and Aang running into the courtyard. "Come on everyone, on Appa."

"We can't go on that thing. They'll spot us in no time."

Sokka growled at the prince. "Why should we listen to a firebender scum?"

"Sokka!" There was a chorus of admonishment.

"Fine. What's the plan, _your majesty_?"

Zuko ignored him and turned to Aang and Katara. "Can your beast swim?" They nodded. "Grab what you can. We'll take the skiff back to my ship; your beast can follow us. We'll set sail tonight, using the island as cover. Let's go."

As quickly and quietly as possible, five humans, one lemur and one ten ton bison made their way to the beach. Before Azula reached the house, they were long gone.

> > > > > > >

AN: Again, sorry for the wait.

Iroh: Finally, I'm in a chapter.

Half-elf: Don't complain. You've had constant access to tea and, even though we haven't played Pai Sho, I taught you how to play chess.

Iroh: True, a most interesting game. Oh, by the way, check mate.

Half-elf: What/sigh/ Till next time, dear readers. Review please.


	13. Chapter 13

AN: The return of the Blue Spirit! Muwhahahaha! That rocks! Ok, who else here thinks Azula is really awesome (manipulative, psychotic and a bitch but still totally cool). And does anyone know why her flame is blue? Well, that's all I have to say at the moment, please enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: Yada, yada, yada. You know what I mean.

> > > > > > > >

Katara stormed into the room she was sharing with Ishi. "I'm gonna kill them. I'm gonna throw them overboard and let them drown. No, I'll **hold** them underwater and let whatever creatures are down there eat them."

Ishi chuckled softly from her spot on one of the cabin's beds. "Sounds like things are going just as well as they have been for the past three days."

Katara let out an exasperated sound and sat on the other bed in their cramped quarters. No matter how small, though, it fitted the girls fine. And, at the moment, it served as their refuge from the idiocy around them. "Either Sokka's making sarcastic comments and poking fun at Zuko causing him to start a fight or Zuko's attitude and comments to and about Sokka cause **him** to start one. I don't think they've said one word to each other that wasn't intended to be an insult. Thankfully, Iroh's teaching Aang or nothing would be getting done."

Ishi gave up on trying to meditate, a habit she recently picked up from a firebender on board, and laid down. "Those two aren't any better though. They're content to sit back and laugh at them. But, you got to admit, some of their arguments are pretty funny."

"Yes, but aside from their childish name calling. How are we supposed to work together if those two can't be anywhere near each other? And, in case you haven't noticed, it's kinda hard to keep them separated on a ship this size. So, how are we supposed to get Sokka and Zuko to at least be civil to each other?"

Ishi folded her arms beneath her head. "Simple. We just have to force them to spend time together."

Katara snorted. "What, so we lock them in a closet with each other till they're friends?"

Ishi shrugged. "That or until one kills the other. Either way, no more problem."

Katara stared at her, dumbfounded, for a moment before breaking down into laughter. "You are one strange individual."

Ishi smiled. "Thank you. I do try."

O.o.o.o.o.O

Iroh looked deeply troubled. "Are you sure it was her?"

Zuko paced across the room. "I'm not totally sure, but who else could it be? I didn't think about it the first night but, when I thought back, I realized that Ishi kept saying 'she'. What other female has enough power to control a crew like that?"

Iroh shook his head. "We've been away for three years now. Anything could have happened since then." The look Zuko sent him showed his doubt. "Fine, I admit that it's unlikely but it is still possible."

Zuko sighed and sat next to his uncle. "I wanted to be as certain as possible so I asked Ishi to tell me everything she remembered. She didn't see the commander but she heard her and the men called her 'Highness'. You know it's illegal to call any outside the royal family by that title. It has to be her."

"It does no good to dwell on it. We will face her when we have to and not torture ourselves with 'what ifs'. Now, do we tell everyone else who we're up against?"

Zuko thought. "I don't think it matters. They don't know her like we do. She'll just be another firebender to them."

"They know how determined you are, I don't think they'll underestimate her."

"Very well uncle. We'll tell them tonight." Zuko walked over to the window, deep in thought, while Iroh left the room. Memories of his childhood surfaced in his mind. He sighed. "Azula."

O.o.o.o.o.O

"Your sister? She's the one hunting you?" Katara looked surprised. Everyone was seated around the dinning table in the captain's quarters.

Sokka snorted. "If it's just a girl then we have nothing to worry about. Ow!" Katara elbowed him in the stomach while Ishi stomped on his foot. "Hey! What did I say?" They both pointedly ignored him.

Ishi turned back to the prince. "What's she like? What are we up against?"

Under the table, his fists clenched. "She's smart, there's very little that she doesn't see and even less that she can't twist to her needs. She's determined and won't let anything or anyone stand in the way of what she wants. She's a prodigy when it comes to firebending and she's ruthless to those she faces. She won't stop looking for me."

Katara laid her hand on top of his. "If she gets in our way, we'll do something then. But she won't be able to stand against all of us. If we stick together, we'll be fine." Zuko didn't look convinced.

Iroh observed the somber faces around the table and made a decision. "Come now, enough of these talks. We have already accomplished a great deal. We should celebrate. Tomorrow we stop to take in supplies but, tonight is music night."

Zuko groaned and wanted to bang his head against the table to end his pain but his pride stopped him. Everyone else, though, looked intrigued. Iroh beamed at his annoyed nephew. "Come now Zuko, you know this is a great way to improve morale. Plus we haven't properly welcomed our guests yet. What better way to do so then with song and dance?" He looked around the table. "And, hopefully, one of our new companions will favor us?"

Katara blushed slightly, Aang and Ishi looked excited, Sokka just looked at Iroh strangely and Zuko dropped his head into his hands with a groan. This would be one long night.

O.o.o.o.o.O

Later that night, Katara was thoroughly enjoying herself. There were no sad songs tonight; the music was fast and passionate. And the later the evening got, the more relaxed the men became, the bawdier the songs grew. Katara laughed as Ishi belted out an Earth Kingdom drinking song, causing a few blushes from some of the younger men, much to the delight of their companions. Aang displayed some airbending tricks and Iroh began teaching Sokka how to play something called a sungi horn. There was only one person who didn't seem to be enjoying himself.

Zuko stood deep in shadows, the firelight making his eyes glint in the darkness. She declined Iroh's invitation to sing and went to join the prince. "Why don't you join us? It's really quite fun."

The moonlight did little to reveal his features so she had to rely on instinct to interpret his answer. "There's no need for me to join in. Besides, I'd hate to spoil the mood." Katara heard the self depreciation in his voice but couldn't understand it.

"Come on, it'll be fun. And I promise to protect you from your uncle." She laughed and took his hand to drag him towards the group but he refused to budge.

"I'm fine where I am. I never go to these things if I can help it."

"Why not?"

"I don't understand it. These men have been away from home for three years, what do they have to celebrate? They haven't seen their wives, they haven't seen their children and the younger ones have never even had a sweetheart. They live in close quarters, are constantly fighting boredom, faced with grave peril and live on sea rations." His voice dropped to a whisper. "They don't even know if they'll live to see their families again."

"That's why they celebrate. They never know when they'll have another opportunity, so they take advantage of what they can. For one night they forget about their troubles, forget about the loved ones left behind, forget that tomorrow they might die. This allows them to keep pushing forward."

"I suppose." Loud raucous laughter exploded into the night. "I just wish they'd be quieter about it." He looked up to see Iroh waving Katara over. He looked down at her. "You should go sing. You sing beautifully."

She blushed and looked at the deck. "Thank y… When did you hear me sing?" She looked at him suspiciously and felt him tense beside her.

_Shit!_ Zuko scrambled for an answer, other then the real one, when one of Iroh's sayings rose in his mind. _Flattery will get you everywhere._ "Your speaking voice is so lovely that your singing voice couldn't be any different." His answer seemed to quiet her suspicions and she glowed at his praise. He was so proud of his intelligence at handling the situation that he opened his mouth again. "And that Water Nation lullaby is perfect for your voice." She turned to glare at him and he realized his mistake. _Oh shit!_

"The last time I sang that song was when we were at Bumi's. And I was in the bath. That's the only time I **ever** sing, when I bathe. And just where were you, your majesty?"

Zuko was cornered and he knew it, so he said the first thing that came to mind. "It's not like I wanted to see you." Her gaze darkened. "I was only trying to get information on your movements. I didn't enjoy it." He heard a growl in the darkness and realized that he'd gone too far.

Katara's fists were clenched and around them the sea began to roll. First he tells her he saw her naked and then he tells her he didn't enjoy it! She wasn't sure which she was angrier about. She hissed at him between clenched teeth. "You pervert." He reached for her arm but she jerked away. "Don't touch me." She stormed away from him and came face to face with Sokka.

He glared at the figure behind his pissed off sister. "What's the matter?"

As angry as she was, she wouldn't tell him. He'd use it as an excuse to hurt Zuko. And she didn't want that. _Maim maybe…_ She shook her head. "Just a small fight, nothing to worry about." She gave him a small smile. "You know how I can be."

He nodded solemnly though there was a teasing light behind his eyes. "I **definitely** know how you can be."

She shoved him playfully and sat at the edge of the group. She felt Zuko watching her but she refused to turn around. She knew what happened had to have been an accident but she wasn't yet ready to forgive him. _I'll let him stew a little while. Tomorrow will be soon enough to forgive him._

_ > > > > > > > _

AN: You didn't think that I'd let him get away with it, did you? Sorry for the long wait but it's the end of the semester and that means that every class is piling on essays and final projects. So it might be a little while till the next chapter but I know where it's going so it shouldn't take that long to write when I can spare the time to get down to it. Thanks for reading and review please!


	14. Chapter 14

AN: Miss me? I've just got one thing to say. School's out! So, from now on, there should be less of a wait between chapters. I'm still not going to update everyday or even every other day, but it'll still be more frequent. Thanks to all of you who have continued to read this, I appreciate your comments. Who saw the show last night… uh, tonight… whatever. All Zuko, now that's what I'm talking about. Awesome! Now that my rant is over, on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: By now you should know that I'm just a broke college student. So, no, I own nothing!

> > > > > > > > > > >

Katara rummaged around the room, getting ready for the day. She dressed quickly and closed the lid of her trunk with a soft 'thunk'. Ishi groaned. "Do you have to be so loud?"

Katara chuckled at her very hung over friend. "Well, you shouldn't have drank so much." Ishi groaned and burrowed deeper into her pillow. "I guess that means you're not coming into town today?" Another groan answered her. Katara laughed lightly and opened the door. She jerked back as a fist came towards her face.

Zuko pulled back his hand in mid-knock. "Sorry." He watched her pull back from him into a cold shell, arms across her chest. "Iroh sent me to get you. We're about to head into town." She gave him a stiff nod and went to brush past him but he grabbed her arm. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. It just happened."

"It just happened? How could something like that just happen? What were you even doing there?"

He dropped his hand back to his side. "I already told you. I was…"

"Would you two stop shouting! I already have a headache!" They looked into the room at an irate Ishi.

Katara smiled back at her. "Sorry. I'll talk to you later, feel better." She let the door slam shut and chuckled at the loud groan she left behind. Without looking at the prince, she marched up the stairs. They walked into the bright morning sunshine to see a handful of people already on deck. Katara made her way over to Sokka, Aang and Iroh followed closely by Zuko. "So what's the plan?"

Iroh gestured to the few men on deck. "We'll dock a ways off from the nearest town and send some men in on carts."

"I'd like to go too. But I think Ishi is out of commission for most of the morning."

Iroh smiled. "Some of the men are like that too. That's the sign of a good music night. You're welcome to join them, as is Sokka. But, Aang, Zuko and I should stay aboard."

"I'm going."

Iroh looked at his determined nephew. "I don't think that's such a good idea. Too many things could go wrong. Especially if Azula's looking for you."

"I'll be fine uncle. Unlike others, I can take care of myself." Katara glared at him but said nothing.

Iroh sighed. "Fine. But change your clothes. And try not to draw too much attention to yourself." Zuko turned and headed below deck. Iroh shook his head and turned back to the others. "Then Aang will stay with me. Sokka, I imagine it's safe to assume that you're going with your sister?"

"Yeah." He glanced at the door the prince disappeared through and then back to his sister. "Definitely."

"Then get ready. We dock in five minutes and you move out in ten. Oh, and Katara. Don't forget to pick up a good blend of tea."

O.o.o.o.o.O

The ride to town was long and extremely uncomfortable. She was squished between two of the most important men in her life. One who she was angry with at the moment and one who would really like to beat the other up for making her angry. All things considered, she was extremely happy when the town came into view.

The cart rolled slowly to a stop as it reached the market. She reached into her pouch and took out the list Iroh provided. She shook her head and crossed off the various musical instruments and statuary that was written down and handed half the list to Sokka. "Zuko and I will get the food, you get the rest."

"I don't like you going off with him alone. I'll help you with the food."

She raised an eyebrow. "I don't trust you near the food and I'll need help getting it back to the cart. So, shoo, off with you. The sooner we do this and get back to the ship, the better I'll feel."

"Fine." He brushed past Zuko giving him an evil glare. They separated in the market. Sokka going one way, Zuko and Katara the other.

They moved through the market silently. At first, Zuko enjoyed the quiet but, eventually, it began to grate on his nerves. "Are you planning on ignoring me for the rest of our trip?" She continued to ignore him. He clenched his fists. _What is with her? I already said I was sorry._

He hung back and let her move from stall to stall. _If she wants my help, she can ask for it._ He watched her as her basket began to fill up but she refused to say anything. She looked back once to find him watching her with a smirk on his face. The glare she sent him could have frozen the hottest flame. Then she turned, nose in the air, and continued on her way.

Growing bored with the silent fight, his attention began to wander. It swept across the various knick-knacks on display and the vendors pushing their goods, but finding nothing of interest to land on. He snapped back to attention, though, when he heard Katara's voice. "I said no."

Two Fire Nation soldiers were circling around her, pressing close. "Come on. A beautiful thing like you? It's a shame to let you walk around by yourself, and carrying such a heavy basket too. What do you say?"

Katara was caught between the need to not attract attention and the desire to wipe the floor with them. "I said I'm fine but thank you gentlemen for your concern." She went to move away but one soldier caught her arm.

"We weren't asking." He pressed closer and she began to struggle. Suddenly, he was gone and someone was in front of her, burning hot.

"I believe the lady said no."

Katara looked up into Zuko's face and was shocked by his fierce expression. Her heart fluttered. _He cares._

The soldiers turned to their new target. "Look, little boy, don't interfere with things that are beyond you. Walk away now and I won't have to hurt you."

His smile he flashed was all teeth. "You could try."

Katara grabbed his arm and tugged him back. His body temperature was so high, he felt almost feverish. _Is this what happens when a firebender fights?_ She filed it in the back of her mind for later. She put her lips close to his ear and whispered, "Don't."

He turned his head slightly. "Don't worry. I can take them."

"That's not it. We don't need to attract anymore attention them we already have. Just leave them and let's go."

He couldn't ignore the pleading look in her eyes. He let out a quiet sigh and his body temperature returned to normal. "Fine."

But the decision was taken out of their hands. As he turned around, one of the soldiers took a swing. Instincts flared and Zuko countered. The man was down in an instant.

The second soldier, learning from the first's mistake, approached the man clad in brown more carefully. Zuko moved into the center of the street, away from onlookers and booths. They didn't have the money to pay for damages.

The soldier drew a long kris and held it ready before him. Zuko smirked and allowed the older man to circle him. The man attacked, going straight for Zuko's eye. The thrust missed but him but severed the strap of his hat. As it fluttered slowly to the ground, Zuko grabbed the outstretched arm and flipped him over his back. The man landed with a 'thud' and didn't get up. Katara walked over to him and they surveyed the damage.

"Katara!" They turned to see Sokka barreling through the market. When he reached them he doubled over, hands on his knees, gasping for breath. "I was… down at… dock… Fire Nation…" He swallowed hard and finally looked around. He blinked at the bodies sprawled in the road. "Well. I guess you already knew. Come on, we gotta get outa here."

Sokka took her by the hand and dragged her down the road. She looked back to see Zuko looking down at the men with an inscrutable expression. She tugged back on her arm, trying to slow Sokka down. Something wasn't right.

Zuko bent down to pick up his hat when he heard someone behind him. "It's been a long time, big brother."

As slowly as possible, he stood up and turned to face his sister. "Azula." His narrowed eyes took in features that hadn't changed much in three years. "What do you want?"

She smiled. "Well, isn't this a happy reunion. Where's uncle?"

Zuko gritted his teeth. "I don't know. We got separated."

"Pity. I was so looking forward to seeing him again." Her manner was almost playful as she approached him. "Father has been looking for you. He wants you back. He sent me for you."

Zuko looked shocked. "Father…" For a moment, he indulged himself in the memories of home. He allowed himself to believe that his father actually wanted him to return. But them he returned to reality. "If you think I'll believe that, you're crazy. You always lie."

She sent him a sparkling smile. "Why would I lie to my beloved brother? Besides, it's not as if I want you home. I'd be happy for you to stay in exile forever. But father, unfortunately, doesn't feel the same." She was no longer smiling.

He shook his head. "I'm no fool and I'm not blind to what father is. He's not the forgiving type. I'm not going with you."

She smiled again, but it was no longer sparkling, it was the smile of a predator. "Who said you had a choice." She gave an unseen gesture and he was surrounded.

He dropped into a stance and looked around him. _Not good odds._ He looked past them, into the crowd, and Katara struggling to get free of Sokka's hold. _At least she's safe._ Then they were on him. These men weren't like the ones before; these were specially trained to protect royalty, trained to be deadly.

Katara watched as they jumped on Zuko. "No!" Sokka clamped a hand over her mouth and held her tight. Zuko was good, a powerful bender, but even he couldn't hold out against twenty men.

The fight was over quickly and Zuko stood slumped between two men. Katara fought harder then ever to reach him but Sokka held firm. He whispered to her. "Wait. If we go help him now, we'll be caught too. And what good would that do? We need to get back to Iroh and Aang."

She wasn't listening. She continued to fight until she caught Zuko's eye. He was trying to tell her something. 'Don't risk it now, wait till the right moment.' She clamed down and nodded her understanding. He gave her a small smile, a real smile, and let his head drop. Together, she and Sokka watched them drag him away.

She struggled to stay calm and turned to her brother. "Follow them. Find out where they're going. Then we get back to Iroh."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Her eyes narrowed. Sokka had never seen her so scary. "Let's just get moving." She flexed her hand, craving the presence of her water skin. _I will get him back._

_ > > > > > > > > > > _

AN: Muhahahaha. I love being evil. Ahem, sorry 'bout that. It's a mix of stress and lack of sleep. Does strange things to a person. I wonder when Zuko's mother will pop back up. Think he'll run into her during his travels? Or better yet, Katara and the others? I'm giddy with anticipation. Okay. You know the drill. Review and I'll love you forever. Or at least for the next few days afterwards.


	15. Chapter 15

AN: See, I told you it wouldn't be that long. Ummm, nothing to say so on with the story.

Disclaimer: Nope.

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Zuko was tossed unceremoniously into a dank cell, hands bound behind his back with metal bindings. He couldn't melt his bonds without the risk of burning his hands off. Using the stone wall behind him, he struggled into a sitting position to better take in his surroundings.

He wasn't that far from the market he was captured in. Through the tiny barred window he could still smell hints of the sea. He pushed to his feet and stretched to see out the window. He was high up, easily five stories. _So much for a quick exit through the sewers._ He sighed.

He walked over to the open bars of his door and peered through. His cell was connected to a small room with only one door in or out. And there was no guard in sight. _If I can concentrate my flame to only the tips of my fingers, I should be ale to burn through the bars._ He moved to a discrete spot all the way over, next to the wall, and started working.

He had barely started, though, when the outer door opened. He moved back under the window just in time to his sister walk in flanked by two guards.

"I hope you like your accommodations, Zuzu. They're the best in the place." She waited for the guard to open the door then walked in. "Why don't you get comfortable, brother dear. I think we're long overdue for a little chat."

The guards grabbed his arms, undid his bindings, and attached his wrists to the wall. She sent him a vicious smile. "Now, this can be easy or you can be in a great deal of pain." She twirled a knife in her hand. "Personally, I'd prefer the latter."

Zuko growled. "I don't know what the hell you're looking for, but I'm not going to tell you anything."

A slow sadistic smile spread across her face. "I was hoping you'd say that." Without a word, one of the guards stepped forward. Sounds of flesh striking flesh echoed throughout the room.

O.o.o.o.o.O

"They're at a small fortress about fifteen miles out of town. It looks like they stopped for the same reason we did, refill supplies. It was just pure coincidence that they were there the same time as us." Katara's jaw clenched. "Inside, from what I could see, were the twenty men she had with her plus about the same amount of local men." Sokka looked around the captain's table at the grim faces of the people gathered. "It won't be easy getting to him."

Ishi shook her head slowly. "What I don't understand is why they haven't moved on. She got who she was after and her ship was ready to sail. Why wait?" She looked to Iroh for the answer. He was the only one who knew Azula and what her motives could be.

Iroh, for once, showed signs of his age. "You said she asked about me?" Katara and Sokka nodded. "Then she's waiting for me. My nephew has never been a good liar. He's too honest and straight forward. She knows that I am near and she'll do what she can to make him tell her exactly where."

Sokka snorted. "Great. So we wait and get captured or try to rescue him and walk into a trap. Can't say as I like the options." Aang and Ishi nodded their agreement.

Iroh sat at the head of the table. "Zuko won't tell her. He has suffered much pain in his young life; physical and emotional. He'll be able to handle what she throws at him for a while."

"We're going to rescue him." Every eye in the room turned to Katara.

Lt. Jee was the first to react. "We can't just charge in there. We'll never make it." The look she sent him was pure ice.

"She'll be expecting Iroh and as many men as he has with him to come. But she won't get that. Only a few of us will go in and we'll go in quietly."

Iroh rested a hand gently on her shoulder. "We don't even know where he's being held, Katara. And, from what Sokka described, it's too large to rely on blind luck. It is wise not to enter you enemy's house with your eyes shut."

"But we won't be blind, we'll send in a scout."

Sokka spoke up angrily. "Yeah? And who do you plan to sacrifice? We can't send someone in there alone. It would be suicide."

"Momo." There was shocked silence in the room but she pushed on. "He's small and invisible when he wants to be." Doubtful stares came at her from around the table so she turned to the only person who would know for sure. "Right Aang?"

Brow furrowed in thought, Aang took a moment to answer. "I guess so." He was hesitant at first but the longer he thought, the more he liked it. "That's a great idea. As long as I'm with you, he'll have no problem taking us there."

"Let's not get carried away." Ishi's voice broke into his excited rambling. "We still need a plan. It would be better if we waited a little while."

"We can't wait. We need to go after him now!" Katara slammed her fist on the table hard enough to shake it.

Iroh watched the young woman next to him carefully. "I would appreciate it if everyone would give me a moment alone with Katara. We'll continue this discussion later." As everyone headed for the door, Katara walked to the window. Even with her back to him, he could see the tension in her body. "What's wrong?"

She spun to face him. "What's wrong? How can you ask me that?" Her voice rose with each word. "Zuko's gone. He's surrounded be dozens of soldiers and his psycho sister who's some kind of firebending prodigy. Not to mention that there's a fortress standing between us and him." Her voice echoed through the room and down the hall. "He's captured and it's all my fault!" Her voice broke and she continued in a whisper. "It's all my fault."

He watched her slump against the table, eyes closed as if in pain. "It was Zuko's choice to go with you. And Azula showing up was coincidence. It couldn't have been your fault." He spoke softly, quietly encouraging her to come out of her funk. But she wouldn't listen.

"I was angry at him. I wanted him to feel guilty for what he had done so, instead of staying with him, I went off on my own. If I hadn't done that, he wouldn't have had to come to my aid and he wouldn't have been caught. I never even got the chance to say that I forgive him. He must still think I'm angry."

"That's enough." His harsh tone jerked her out of her thoughts. "All this guilt will do is prevent us from getting Zuko. If you're so wrapped up in yourself, we will fail and then you _will_ be responsible for his fate."

"I won't jeopardize the mission." Her eyes were no longer clouded with doubt and guilt; they burned with a fierce determination.

_They are more alike then they realize. They both take more onto themselves then is their share. They are both fighters._ "We will get him back. But rushing in there before we are ready will only result in disaster. There is a fine line between waiting too long and not waiting long enough. We will wait for that moment and seize it when it comes. Until then, we prepare and find out as much as we can. I only hope Momo is up to the task."

"He is. Just ask Sokka how many times Momo's stolen food from him." The guilt wasn't gone but it was crushed underneath sheer will and determination. She would focus on the present mission and worry about everything else later.

O.o.o.o.o.O

"I can't believe that he still hasn't said anything." Azula was perched on her chair in the main hall of the fortress. "Who would have thought that such a weakling could last so long?" She got up and began to pace around the room. "He's hiding something, I know it." She thought back to the two men she found him with. _They said something about a girl. I wonder who she was._

She signaled to the guards flanking the door. "Bring the prisoner to me." They bowed and left. Soon after, they returned, throwing the battered and bloody form before her feet. "Ah, brother, it's so good to see you well."

Zuko struggled to his knees, wincing as the movement caused the lacerated skin on his back to pull painfully. "Ever the gracious hostess, I see. What do you want?"

She sat gracefully in the chair and looked coldly down at her brother. "Who's the girl you were with in town?" She noticed a slight flinch but then he was still. "It wouldn't be too hard to find her and bring her in. Perhaps she will respond better to my… persuasion tactics. What do you think?"

"You won't find her. Besides, she has nothing to do with any of this."

"You have no idea what my resources are. The two men you beat up have quiet a clear description of her. Humph. My brother, associating with peasants. According to them, you two were quite close." She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"I told you, she has nothing to do with this."

"You've always been a horrible liar, Zuzu." Her face transformed from that of an innocent girl to a face of pure evil. "It will be fun to brake her. Perhaps she'll reveal just how much of a traitor you are."

"I'm loyal to the Fire Nation. I always have been. If there's a traitor here, it's you."

She rose angrily. "I follow father. It's you who is too weak to do what is needed. Remember, brother dear, loyalty to the Fire Nation is loyalty to father. There cannot be one without the other."

"You're wrong." He was on his knees, bound before her, but his determination still burned in his eyes. "They are not the same. Ozai's plan spells the doom of our world and our nation. And you're following right behind him. Are you too blind to see what's happening or are you just too stupid?"

Her fists erupted with flames in the face of her rage and she backhanded him, sending his already battered body to the floor. "Know your place!"

Her hand slid to her side and she drew a long kris from its sheath. Hauling him back to his knees, she rested it against his throat. "What I wouldn't give to slide this just a few inches deeper." She pressed lightly and the blade bit eagerly at his skin. A thin trickle of blood ran down his throat.

She sighed. "But that is an honor for father alone I'm afraid. Pity." Her eyes roamed upwards and focused on his topknot. "This, however, will be my pleasure to take." She grabbed his hair roughly and forced his head back. A malicious smile crossed her face as the knife severed his ponytail quickly and cleanly.

"You're a disgrace to father and a traitor to your nation. You no longer deserve to wear your hair in the traditional style. You are no longer Fire Nation." She took the hank of hair and threw it carelessly onto the brazier. She sneered down at him. "You're nothing more then a commoner now. Not fit to lick the dust off my boots."

She signaled the guards forward. But, before they took him, she couldn't resist one last comment. "Perhaps, before he kills you, father will let me play with you first. I do so enjoy beating you, dear brother."

He heard her laughter as he was dragged past the heavy doors and back to his cell. As he was once again tossed roughly to the floor, he could almost swear that he saw a familiar flash of white fur.

That simple flash of white was soon forgotten, though, as another session of 'questioning' began.

O.o.o.o.o.O

Momo jumped down into the waiting arms of Aang. "Did you find him?" Aang could barely contain his hope.

Momo nodded and accepted the large piece of fruit Katara had waiting for him. "Good boy. Aren't you the greatest?" He preened under her words, clearly pleased with all the attention. She stopped petting him and looked at the fortress. _Soon. We'll be there soon._

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AN: Next up: The Daring Escape! Or something like that. Here's a cheer for the dark, brooding, loner types. Mmmmm… yummy. Anyways, Review peoples!


	16. Chapter 16

AN: Hey everybody! A slightly more exciting chapter for you. I hope you enjoy it. Oh, I don't know when the next one will be up 'cause I'm going on vacation. Ahhh, vacation. I can't remember the last time I was on one.

Disclaimer/Ahem/ The men in white coats tell me that I don't own Avatar. It belongs to Nickelodeon. And if I want to get out of here, I have to agree with them. So, no, I don't own the show or any of the wonderful characters, except Ishi. One day though…

> > > > > > > > >

"Find him! I want him here now!" The guards bowed and started past her but she stopped them. "Don't hesitate because he is royalty. Because **I** won't hesitate to kill you if you fail." Again they nodded and raced out of the room.

She sat in her chair, pleased with the outcome. _I knew he couldn't stay away. Not with his favorite nephew in trouble._ She sneered, that much of an attachment a weakness in her mind. Suddenly, she jumped up from the chair, lighter then she had been in ages, now that her goal was so close. She called to one of the soldiers. "Put as many men on this as possible. I want them tied, gagged and on my ship bound for the Fire Nation by sunset. No mistakes."

The soldiers scrambled to follow her orders, fearful of her wrath. She watched them go with a satisfied smirk. _Soon I can get out of this Agni-farsaken place and return to civilization._

She moved restlessly through the fortress, up the stairs to her brother's cell. She observed him with a critical eye as he hung there, chained to the wall. Despite her interrogations, he had still held his tongue. The lashes on his back and the other bruises and cuts on his body told of his stubbornness. As she moved closer, he never even lifted up his head. She sneered. _Pathetic._ "You're weak brother. For all your stalling, we still found uncle."

His head snapped up and, for the first time, real fear coursed through his veins. _No. She can't have found them. It's impossible._ His voice cracked from lack of use. "If you found him, where is he?"

She lifted her nose in the air and looked down at him. "He'll be ours soon. It's of no consequence."

He let out a grim chuckle. "You won't catch him. You're not good enough." He barely finished when she backhanded him hard enough to rattle his teeth. It caused him to pull at his chains and he bit back a gasp of pain.

Without another word, she stormed out of the cell and he slipped into the welcoming darkness.

O.o.o.o.o.O

"Is she crazy? That's more then half the men in there." Sokka was reporting back to the rest of the small group; Aang, Ishi, Katara and Momo, who were hiding in the brush along the road. "I guess Iroh was right, she must really want him."

Ishi glanced after the soldiers worriedly. "I just hope that he can handle himself."

"If anyone can do it, Iroh can." Even in this tense situation, Aang was cheerful. "You should've seen him at the North Pole. He can really kick butt."

"Let's go." Katara's sharp voice cut across the group. Anger and impatience was coming off her in waves. Sokka and Ishi shared a concerned glance while Aang watched her quietly. She let out an annoyed sigh. "I'm fine guys. I won't mess this up." Her hand tightened around her water skin. "But we need to move. Iroh can't buy us much time."

As if feeling the need to hurry, Momo leaped off Aang's shoulder and raced towards the wall. Pressing close, Aang and Ishi bended the stone of the wall aside. Sokka peered around the corner. "There's no one out here. She must've kept only a few men to guard the halls inside. This'll be easier then I thought."

Katara brushed past him. "Don't jinx us."

Moving from shadow to shadow, they followed Momo to the side of the building. "Too bad I can't just open the wall." Ishi's fingers flexed against the stone longingly.

Sokka snorted. "Unfortunately, we don't know what's on the other side." He grimaced. "I don't like not knowing what's ahead."

With the main doors looming in the distance, Momo led them to a side door. Kneeling in front of the lock, Katara drew a thin stream on water from one of the skins on her back. She bended it into the lock and froze it. The quiet 'crack' brought a satisfied smile to her lips.

The door opened into a stairwell. Momo scampered up and out of sight. As quickly and silently as possible, the moved after him, Katara on point.

They hadn't gone far, though, when Momo came tearing down the steps followed by a guard. He jerked back in surprise, shocked to see the young intruders.

That moment of hesitation was all the time Katara needed. The water whip sent him back into the wall and she continued to feed it as she froze him in place. He opened his mouth to sound the alarm but she froze it shut.

The man glared at them and steam started to roll off his body. Sokka gulped. "That's not gonna hold him long." Katara reached around him and grabbed his club. She smashed the guard on the side of the head and he went limp.

She tossed Sokka back his club and pulled the water back into her canteen. "Let's go." They parted for her as she made her way up the stairs, shocked by her aggressiveness.

The stairs ended in a round with two doors. Katara raced over to the door on the right and peered through. Storage.

"He's over here." She raced to where Aang was looking through the door. Zuko was barely visible in the distance. She bended a stream of water and another lock was broken. They raced into the room and froze in shock.

He hung almost lifeless from the wall, naked from the waist up. "Zuko." As soon as Aang broke the lock, she was at his side. "Zuko. Come on Zuko." He didn't respond to her urgent pleas. "Aang, help me." Together, they freed him from his shackles and he collapsed into Katara's arms.

Revealing that, if they thought his front was damaged, his back was much worse. It was raw with long welts that were open, trickling blood and ooze. She stared at the mess in front of her with shock and revulsion. _His sister did this. She whipped her own brother._ Instinctively, she took hold of her water skin and formed a healing glove.

Sokka called from the doorway. "We don't have time. Heal him later."

Her voice was tight in concentration. "How far do you think we'll get with him like this? Besides, don't you think he's suffered enough?" She cast pleading, pain filled eyes to her brother and Ishi who lingered by the door.

Ishi sighed. "Fine, but hurry."

Katara shifted his body, resting his head on her lap and ran her water encased hand over his back. The lashes began to glow slightly and she could feel the flesh begin to stitch together and the infection die. When she was satisfied that he could move without too much pain, she and Aang moved him into a sitting position.

She cupped his face gently, her fingers lingering on his scar. "Zuko. Come on, wake up. We need to go."

His eyes flickered open and rested on her face. "Katara?" His voice cracked and she gave him some water to drink.

She spoke softly. "We need to leave. Can you stand?" He nodded and, between her and Aang, they got him to his feet. "Sokka, we need your help. He's too tall for us." Sokka came over and took Aang's place.

Zuko was coming quickly back to full consciousness and realized there was one person missing. "Where's my uncle?"

Katara squeezed his hand reassuringly. "He's fine. He's leading your sister's men on a wild turtleduck chase to but us time. But we need to hurry now." She gently detached herself from him and moved to the door, dropping her empty water skin as she went. _Good thing I brought extra._

They moved down the stairs with no resistance. Aang gulped and gripped his staff tighter. "I don't like this. Where is everyone?" They stepped over the guard's still prone body and quickly reached the door.

Sokka sighed as he pushed open the door. "At least we're safe now."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Azula stood just outside with five men. She looked them over coldly. "So, you're the group my brother's been traveling with. You're just as pathetic as he is." The men leapt forward to meet a wall of earth.

Katara shouted over her shoulder to Sokka. "Get him out of here!"

Sokka pulled the prince along as fast as possible. He jerked back as Azula landed in front of them. "You're not going anywhere, brother dear." She dropped into a stance and her fists erupted into flames. She launched herself at them as Sokka struggled with keeping Zuko upright and drawing his boomerang at the same time.

She never reached them. A sudden gust of wind knocked her back into the wall. Aang stood protectively in front of them, daring her to try again.

She eyed him hungrily. "The Avatar." She sneered down at her brother. "You're even more of a traitor then I thought." She threw fireball after fireball at them but was unable to penetrate Aang's defenses. She stumbled forward as a stream of water smacked into the back of her head.

She turned to see a furious Katara before her. "Leave them alone!" Each word was punctuated by a water whip, forcing Azula back. With one last surge, she knocked Azula down. "Ishi, the wall." She had just finished off the last of the men and nodded in response to Katara's call.

Together, they all raced to the wall and the escape route Ishi had opened. But, just as she made it through the wall, Katara screamed in pain. The back of her right shoulder was awash in flames from the blow Azula just landed.

She tumbled to the ground, winded. She pushed herself to her hands and knees and shook her head to clear it. She looked up just in time to roll out of the way of Azula's kick.

Azula positioned herself between Katara and the others. "So you're the little whore my brother was with. I suppose three years at sea could make even you appealing. Through, it is hard to believe that my brother's fallen so low, dealing with peasants."

Katara felt the rage course through her body. Even Zuko at his worst had never been this arrogant. She reached for the canteen at her side to find it missing.

Azula laughed. "Poor little girl. You can't defend yourself now, can you?" She pushed Katara back towards the bluff, sapphire flames in hand.

Katara was breathing heavily now; exhausted, hurt and angry. As she drew in a deep breath to try and calm her racing heart, a scent reached her nose. She grinned evilly and dropped into a bending stance. She raised her arms high and water flowed up from the inlet below. And the rage in her broke free.

"Here's fro the pain you caused." Water surged from the left. "Here's for all the families you've separated." Icicles rained from above. "The lives you've ruined." Azula's feet slid out from beneath her. Katara began to weave her arms in and out, placing her in a prison of ice. Her voice was cold and deadly. "And this is for what you did to your brother." She shrunk the ball down and it imploded, causing ice shards to strike the princess.

She formed a blade of ice and walked toward her prone opponent, the rage still burning in her eyes but Ishi grabbed her. "Leave her, she's out. We need to head back."

Katara looked once more down at Azula then to where the three boys were standing in the distance. Without a word, she turned her back and walked towards them.

"I'm not finished yet!" She was shoved from behind and then there was a cry of pain. It seemed Azula had enough strength left to fling her dagger at the waterbender's back. Unfortunately for her, Ishi had seen it coming. The dagger now protruded from the earthbender's stomach.

With a cry of rage, Katara flung the ice blade at Azula, striking her across the upper thigh. Large blocks of ice followed, knocking her off her feet and unconscious.

Aang was already at Ishi's side when Katara finished. "It doesn't look too bad." He moved to touch the hilt but Ishi Stopped him.

"Leave it. It'll stop the blood somewhat. We need to get back to the ship." She was breathing in short, painful gasps.

"I'll call Appa. It doesn't matter if they see him now and it'll be quicker." He reached into his pouch and drew out the whistle. "He'll be here soon. Just hang on."

Five minutes later, Appa arrived and a few minutes after that they were headed back to the ship. As soon as they landed, they were taken to sick bay; to heal the minor wounds of some, continue the healing of one and, hopefully, save the life of another.

Meanwhile, Azula was pushing herself to her feet. "This won't happen again. They'll be mine, all of them." She walked back into the fortress. "The Avatar, my brother…" She stopped to pick up Katara's discarded water skin. "And especially that little whore."

> > > > > > > > >

AN: Who saw the show Friday night? Show of hands, who was "WTF!" at the end? Come on, I couldn't have been the only one. For any who didn't see it, I won't say what happened but when you see it, you'll agree with me. Does anyone know for sure what happened? Was he or wasn't he? Anyways, hope you liked it and please review.


	17. Chapter 17

AN: Gomen nasai, I got started on another story. It just wouldn't let me alone. It's a FFX story, if anyone's interested check out the profile. And then I couldn't upload the chapter in, like, forever. Damn computers. Hope your summer's getting off to a great start. And for those who are during finals, Good Luck!

Disclaimer: I'm too lazy to do a long one. I own nothing.

> > > > > > >

Zuko fought his way through the darkness around him towards the light. He felt the heaviness of his limbs return along with the aches and pains of someone who hasn't moved in days. He opened his eyes but closed them just as quickly with a hiss of pain.

A cool hand came to rest on his brow, soothing his pain. "Take it slowly; you've been out for a few days." The hand continued to stroke his forehead as he cracked open his eyes. The world spun at first then Katara came into focus. She was smiling down at him.

"What…" His voice cracked. She moved forward, slipped her arm around his shoulders and held a cup to his lips. He drank greedily at the cool water then laid back. "What happened?"

"You've been asleep for three days. I tried to heal you as much as possible, but I can only do so much. I'm sorry." She dropped her head but looked up again when she felt his fingers against her cheek. "I was able to heal your… cuts but you have a few bruised ribs. Plus you hadn't been fed for a week and were dehydrated. You needed to rest."

"How's Ishi?"

Her face darkened. "She… she's stable. The doctors have done everything they can for her. I even tried to heal her but I can't... couldn't, heal something so deep." Her face showed her anger. "A stomach wound is one of the worst, she's just lucky it entered high enough to not hit anything too vital. Plus your sister had some kind of drug on the blade. But she's strong, she's fighting."

Zuko pushed himself to a sitting position, wincing slightly at the pain. He released the breath he was holding when he stopped. _That wasn't too bad._

Katara was by his side as soon as he started moving. "You shouldn't be getting up. Lie back down."

"I've been lying long enough. You've seen Azula, I can't just do nothing."

"But you can't do anything yet." She began to fuss over him.

"Would you just leave me alone!" Silence greeted his outburst.

Her eyes went from shocked to hurt to angry. "Fine! Go ahead and hurt yourself. I don't care." She left his room, slamming the door behind her. And he was pretty sure he heard some curses flung back in his direction.

"What did I do?" He pushed himself to his feet with a slight wince at the pain and pressure in his chest. Pain he could handle, but the dizziness made him sit down. He was trying to rise once more when Sokka walked in.

He grabbed the chair in front of the bed, spun it around, sat down and leaned on the back. "I still don't like you. You're arrogant, hot tempered and, basically, a jerk. But you can fight and you do have some brains, sometimes, so I guess you aren't all bad. I might even have a small, tiny bit of respect for you. After everything you did and all"

Zuko looked at him warily. "What are you getting at?"

"What I'm getting at is that I wouldn't take as much enjoyment in beating you up as I would have. But, if you give me reason to, I will still do it."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Sokka took out his boomerang and played with the edge. "Three days."

Zuko's already loose grip on his temper was slipping. "Three days what!"

"She hardly left your side for three whole days." He saw the temper leave Zuko in a rush. _Good._ "For the past three days, when she wasn't looking in on Ishi or taking care of personal business, she was in here with you. She ate in here, slept in here, spent every moment possible in here so you wouldn't be alone."

Zuko opened his mouth but nothing came out. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Why?"

Sokka shrugged. "Partly because she felt guilty. She blamed herself for your capture. Partly something else. You'll have to ask her what yourself. If she'll talk to you." He got up and walked to the door. "You know, I've never seen her so worried and upset as when she first saw you in there." Zuko bowed his head and Sokka turned to face him fully. "One more thing. You hurt her and you'll have to deal with me."

Zuko watched as the light glinted off the edge of the boomerang evilly. "Got it."

O.o.o.o.o.O

Iroh stood in the doorway watching his nephew. The boy was taking slow, careful strides across the room gaining strength back as he went. "Keep this up and you'll have your sea legs back in no time."

Zuko turned quickly at the sound and his legs gave way beneath him. "Damn it." He pushed himself up and collapsed heavily in the chair.

Iroh smiled as he walked in and sat on the bed. "Well, not too soon it seems. How are you feeling, nephew? Katara told me you were awake." Zuko made a face. Iroh's eyebrow rose. "Yes. I heard there was a' cough 'slight disturbance this morning. Nephew, one word on women. They are fiercely protective of those they love. Is she counts you as a friend, she will do everything she can to take care of you, even if it means beating you into submission." He started laughing and Zuko looked at him, half in disbelief and half wary. "All she wants is for you to take care of yourself."

"I'm not a child, uncle." Some of the old Zuko was poking through to the surface; angry and impatient.

"To them, it doesn't matter if you're eight or eighty; you're still under their protection. Count yourself lucky, though, it means she likes you." Zuko blushed and Iroh laughed heartily at his discomfort.

He cleared his throat and looked at his uncle. "Uncle, I need to train harder. There's no way I could beat Azula at my current level. I need to get stronger, I need to beat her. I know you say that we're family and family shouldn't fight but…"

"Are you kidding? She's crazy! She had her men chase me around the village like a dog. She's no niece of mine. We'll start your training when you've regained your strength. Until then, rest and relax. I'll bring you tea later." He rested his hand on Zuko's shoulder. "I'm glad you're alright, Zuko."

"Thank you, uncle." The words were faint, barely reaching Iroh in the doorway. But reach him they did. He smiled and left.

O.o.o.o.o.O

Later, after an excited Aang had visited, bouncing around the room, asking a million questions, Zuko threw a sleeveless training shirt on and left his room. He thought about going to Katara but decided against it when he felt the angry shift of the water. He made his way to the infirmary.

Ishi was lying on a bed, still and pale, when he walked in. There was a faint color returning to her cheeks and her breathing was even. He sat next to her. "You don't look too bad."

She cracked an eye open, looked at him and closed her eye again. "You look like shit."

He frowned. "Next time, I won't try to be nice."

She smirked. "Good. I'd rather you be honest with me. I prefer honesty to flattery."

"You're not making this easy for me."

Her smile got wider. "When do I ever try to make things easy for anyone? It's not in my nature. I like to jab at people like a rock in their boot. It's the only thing that gets some people moving." She opened her eyes and fixed him with her emerald gaze. "Now, what am I not making easy for you?"

His hands clasped his knees, his arms stiff, body tense, and he stared at the floor. His voice was gruff and slightly hesitant. "I want to thank you."

"We all came to rescue you, not just me. And Katara was the one who was in the lead."

His face became even harder. "Not for that. For afterwards. If you weren't there… None of us would've gotten there in time." Her eyes were wide, shocked by his words. "I owe you more then I can ever repay."

His molten eyes met hers and she was pleased by the emotion that lingered there. He got up and left the room. She smiled. "You sure picked a good one, Katara." She closed her eyes and fell into a peaceful sleep.

O.o.o.o.o.O

Zuko emerged on deck and took a deep breath, glad to be out in the open. His eyes swept the deck, unconsciously searching for her. She was nowhere in sight. He made his way aft, past boxes and supplies that were being stored, to the stern of the ship. And found her.

She moved across the deck followed by a trail of water. He sat in the shadows, not wanting to disturb her, just watching her bend.

The sun glinted off the water, casting patterns of light across her features. She moved across the deck more aggressive and passionate then normal but still fluid and graceful. Her movements were more dance-like then bending as she twirled and leapt around the deck. It wasn't something he'd ever seen her do. It was a vision he would forever keep close. He leaned against the hull and settled in to watch the beauty before him.

She dipped and twirled, water droplets hanging about her like so many jewels. Her arms waved in time to music that she created. He could hear it faintly; a song about lovers separated by war and strife only to be united in the end by the gods as stars in the sky. There was a quiet joy in her face as she ended her dance in a flourish.

She landed on one knee, her head bowed and her arms flung wide. The water hung over her head in an orb, catching the colors of the setting sun, turning her skin golden.

She rose and took the orb in her hands, staring at the sunset. He walked quietly to her side. "I've always liked sunsets."

She started slightly but kept her back to him. She sent the remaining water over the side. "I would have thought that sunrises were more your thing. You know, all that 'I rise with the sun' stuff." She turned her head and arched an eyebrow, challenging him.

He shrugged slightly. "My abilities might strengthen then but that doesn't mean I prefer it. Darkness has always suited me better. I've always been more comfortable at night." The corner of his mouth lifted. "Plus, dawn doesn't have this much color; it's harsher, more unforgiving, colder."

They stood together, silently enjoying the other's company till the sun sank below the water. As the last bits of color streaked the sky, he placed his hand on her shoulder and whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry." She turned towards him, a question in her eyes. "I didn't want to make you worry."

To his surprise and delight, she flung her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have gone through that. You wouldn't have been hurt. I wouldn't have hurt you."

He felt a slight wetness on his neck and pulled back to look at her. She refused to meet his gaze. He put his fingers under her chin and forced her to look at him. "You did nothing wrong."

She shook her head. "I was angry and I wanted you to stew for a while before I forgave you. I always intended to but I was being childish. And, because of that, because of me, you got caught."

He smiled, a genuine smile. "I'll forgive you if you'll forgive me."

Her face softened, she smiled and nodded. Hesitantly, unsure of his reaction, she laid her head against his chest. He tensed briefly then wrapped his arms tighter around her. She relaxed against him. He brushed his cheek against her hair. "Thank you, for staying with me."

Her voice floated up to him with a promise. "Always."

He looked down at her, hunger in his eyes. Her heart sped up and she breathed quickly through slightly parted lips. He bent towards her and she rose on tiptoes to meet him.

Their lips brushed, testing the softness of the other, then settled. A shock went through them at their first contact and they instinctively deepened the kiss.

His eyes fluttered closed and, for the first time in a long time, he felt truly happy.

She sighed into the kiss, closed her eyes, and moved her hands up to brush the peach fuzz that was now his hair. _I'm home._

They broke apart with a slight sound. She sent him a dazzling smile and rested her head against his chest once more. His arms tightened around her and she cuddled into his embrace. They stayed in each other's arms as the stars came to life around them.

> > > > > > > > > > >

AN: Ahhh, I remember the first time my uncle met my boyfriend. He said, "Remember, I'm a cop and I have a gun." Gotta love family. Well, it took 17 chapters but they finally did it. Hope it was worth the wait. Review please.


	18. Chapter 18

AN: As an apology for making you wait so long, I decided to do a chapter of fluff; pure, unadulterated, sheer, absolute fluff. So sit back, grab some popcorn and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I won't say it, you can't make me. Never. /a fire ball flies past the author's head/ Fine! I don't own anything. Happy/mumbles and goes back to eating popcorn/

> > > > > > > > > > >

Zuko sat with his back against the wall, his right knee b  
ent and his arm resting on it. Normally, Katara would have been a little hesitant, but tonight she felt bolder. She sat between his legs and, being careful of his ribs, leaned her back against his chest. When his arm slipped off his knee and moved to her waist, she rested her head on his shoulder.

She sighed quietly and smiled. She held the hand in her lap and ran her fingers over it, learning its texture and strength. Gran Gran always told her that you could tell a man's worth from his hands. Smooth hands meant that he had never worked for anything in his life. But, if his hands were rough, it meant that he was willing to work hard to achieve his desires.

Gently she traced a faint scar on the back of his hand. She turned over his hand and lightly ran her fingers over his palm. His hand flexed slightly at her touch but he allowed her to continue her exploration. It was rough, calloused from holding his element, working on the ship and from all the battles he's seen. It was the hand of a working man.

With a smile, she nestled her head back onto his shoulder. There was a faint rumble in his chest and she looked up to see a faint smile on his face. "Are you laughing at me?"

He arched his eyebrow. "Just wondering what you were looking for."

She gave him a sly smile and turned her face into his neck. "Wouldn't you like to know? But I'm not gonna tell you." He tightened his arm around her and she continued to caress his hand.

They began to talk. Well, she talked, he listened. He heard of her home and childhood. He heard about Gran Gran, about Sokka as a child (blackmail for later), about her father and, finally, about her mother.

"She was so beautiful and very kind. She was the only other waterbender I knew. I used to watch her bend for hours. Sokka always called it magic but I could feel it was something different. It was from watching her that I learned some of the first moves I did." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I only wish she lived to teach me more."

"My mother was… is the same; beautiful and kind. The only time I was happy was when I was with her."

She looked up and saw his eyes far away. "What happened to her?"

His face turned grim. "I don't know. She came in to my room one night, told me to remember that everything she did, she did for me. Then she kissed me goodbye and left. I never saw her again. It was after that that my father became Fire Lord and uncle retired. Without him…"

The hands surrounding his squeezed reassuringly. "But you still have him and you have me. You have the others as well, even Sokka." The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "And your mother could still be out there. We might be able to find her."

He looked down at her. "We?"

A blush touched her cheeks but she held his gaze. "Yes, we. After this is over, I'll go with you to search for your mother. No matter how long it takes."

He drew her back against him. "Thank you." The words were barely more then air as they tickled her ear. His breath sent tingles down her spine and she leaned into him.

They were silent for a long time. Simply content to be in each other's arms as the night passed. But a nagging thought lodged in the back of Katara's mind. "Zuko?"

"Hm?" His chin continued to rest on her head.

"How did you get your scar?"

Silence followed her question and she could feel his body tense. When he finally spoke, his voice was rough. "That's not a memory I really care to talk about."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." Her fingers continued to trace the back of his hand as she thought of the possibilities. _I've wondered before but the answer never really mattered. But now, I can tell he's not just scared on the outside but on his soul as well. I can't help him heal if I don't know what happened in the first place._

"The first time I was allowed in the war room I was fourteen years old."

She froze, aware of how important this moment was. His hand gripped hers fiercely.

"I had annoyed uncle for weeks until he finally let me join him. He cautioned me to keep silent but I wasn't listening. I was too excited. But the men in there were not the great heroes of legend that I dreamt about. They were men who would betray their own soldiers for their own desires. I was shocked, then I was furious. I spoke out against the general's plan, I challenged his authority. There was to be an Agni-ka, a Fire Duel. I said I wasn't afraid."

She turned to face him but his eyes remained distant, locked on the past as his story unveiled.

"The duel is held at dawn in front of a large crowd. I was so confident, so unafraid. I was given the signal to start and spun around… only to face my father." A gasp escaped her lips but he didn't even hear it. "I fell to my knees, telling him that I was a loyal son. He ordered me to fight. I refused. He still came towards me. I begged him, begged him, to forgive me, to grant me mercy. But he had no mercy in him. He told me I needed to learn and suffering would be my teacher. I closed my eyes as he sent his flame towards my face. The pain was unbearable and I passed out before uncle got me out of the arena. When I woke, I was already on my ship, banished from my home and set with the task of capturing the Avatar, someone who had been missing for a hundred years."

"Oh, Zuko." She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. He could feel the tell tale wetness and hugged her tightly.

"This is the man we're up against. He has no mercy for anyone, especially a boy like Aang. After that day, I refused to ever beg again. I don't rely on the mercy of others, I'll fight to achieve what I want."

Her lips stopped whatever else he was about to say. "I know. But that's what makes you who you are. And I wouldn't have it any other way." She traced her fingers over his scar and kissed him one more time. He relaxed against her and once again she was nestled in his arms.

"You know, that bending I did before, was something my mother used to do. Whenever my father was gone or she was angry at him, she would bend like that. It's one of the few things I remember clearly. She would say that no matter how bad things seemed, the gods have a plan. That they send us hardships to prepare those who have a great destiny before them, so they can stand up to the pressure. And, in the end, the gods will reward them for their suffering and work. So don't lose hope, Hou."

He smiled at the pet name. _At least it's better then Zuzu._ He captured her lips, showing her just how much like fire he could be. _I won't. Not with you here, my water maiden._

_ > > > > > > > > > _

AN: Well, I hope you liked my apology. I'm having trouble thinking about what comes next. So, if anyone has any thoughts, feel free to give me opinion. Alrighty then peoples, until next time. Review please.


	19. Chapter 19

AN: Hey! I have a new little niece! I'm so excited! Well, never mind all that, I just like to brag. Anyways, hope you like the new chapter. Oh, a cyber Zuko to anyone who spots the Pride and Prejudice reference.

Disclaimer: (Checks pockets) Just a bit of lint, nothing else.

> > > > > > > > > > > >

"Again." Zuko picked himself off the deck and preformed the move over. Instead of sending out a stream of lighting, it blew up in his face, sending him back to the deck. Iroh sighed. "You must let go of your rage. To reach the higher bending, you need to have a cool heart. The heat from your passion and rage fuels your flame but it hinders you now. Calm yourself, control your emotions. Now breathe and do it again."

Gritting his teeth, Zuko pushed to his feet. Next to him, Aang preformed the move perfectly. Anger swirled through him. _I've been doing this my entire life. He's barely been training and already he's surpassed me._ He looked back to his uncle and saw Katara standing just behind him. She smiled and he felt the anger leave him.

He took a deep breath and began to move through the stances. His heart was calm, his emotions under control. There was a tingle starting at the edge of his finger tips working its way up his arms. He focused on the feeling and forced it back down. As he finished, a tiny spark flew off his hand. Hands clenched, he growled at the outcome.

Iroh, however, was vastly pleased. "Well done, Zuko."

"Well done? Nothing happened!" The frustration flooded his voice.

"Of course something happened. First, it didn't explode in your face. Second, there was lightning in your strike. It might not be much now, but, with time and focus, you will master it. Enough of this for today. You've made fine progress. Work on your reflexes with Katara."

"Very well, uncle."

Iroh noted the ease with which Zuko moved off to spar with her. He was glad for them. Glad that they had found each other. They balanced each other, complimented the other's strengths and compensated for the other's weaknesses. He laughed as they began to spar, trading insults and barbs as they went.

"Think you can beat me today peasant?" He said it with a teasing glint in his eye and more a smile then a smirk gracing his mouth.

"Your arrogance is annoying. Especially considering how many times I've beaten you." Her face was more open, her eyes glinting with mischief and her smile wide.

As they began their match, Iroh thought back to that morning a few days ago. He knew the moment he saw them that something was different. The way they stood, the way they acted. Katara was brighter and moved about with more lightness then normal. One could tell by the lilt of her voice and her manner how happy she was. Zuko was harder to read. He had never been one to express happiness in mirth, his was a quieter joy. If you knew where to look though, you could find the signs. Iroh was simply glad that they didn't wait until it was too late to say something.

"Humph. Took them long enough." He left to check on his other pupil.

O.o.o.o.o.O

"Your highness." Azula turned to the man trembling before her. "I bear a message from your father." He held out a scroll sealed with the symbol of the Fire Lord.

She had barely taken a hold of the scroll when the messenger bowed and left. As she read, her frown grew more pronounced. She reached the end and crumbled the letter in her hand. A brief flare and it was ashes on the floor.

"So I'm more like my brother then he thought? A failure? It seems I have a spy in my midsts. There's no other way he could have learned about me…" she swallowed hard, "losing the Avatar and Zuko. Well, I won't make that mistake a second time."

She summoned her lead man. "I'm heading out without you. You fools are only slowing me down. Besides, I don't like being spied on."

He paled beneath her gaze. "Yes, your highness. But are you sure you want to continue on your own?"

Her smile was cold as ice. "I never said I'd be by myself."

O.o.o.o.o.O

"It's about time she told him. I was wondering what was taking her so long."

Sokka's jaw dropped. "You knew! You knew and you never said anything?"

Ishi shrugged. "It wasn't my place to say anything. It's her business."

"But she's my sister. I have a right to know. Besides, he's not right for her. And she's too young. And… and…"

"Sounds like you're jealous."

"Ewwwww!" He looked thoroughly disgusted.

A frustrated sigh escaped her. "Not that way, you idiot. You're jealous that she's found someone else to take care of her and that you haven't."

He furrowed his brow. "That makes no sense."

She looked at him with an arched brow and gave a small chuckle. "Of course it does. As you said, you're her big brother. But she can't stay with her big brother forever. And I doubt that you'd want her living with you and the girl you marry." She sent him a teasing smile. "If you ever find one that'll put up with you."

"I already found one."

She looked over at his dejected form and realized her blunder. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. But you'll find someone else. Yue isn't the only girl out there."

"I didn't mean Yue. There was someone else, someone before. But she wasn't Water nation so I thought… I didn't think anything could come of it. I liked Yue too and she **was** Water Nation so…"

A small smile touched her lips. "Well, if Fire and Water can become joined, why not Water and Earth?"

He brightened. "You're right." Then, slowly, he frowned. "Hey, what do you mean by 'joined'!"

O.o.o.o.o.O

"Ugh. It's so hot here." Katara wiped the sweat off her forehead as she watched the two people spar in the center of the deck. "I can't believe they're still at it."

"Well, it let's them beat on each other without anyone yelling at them for it." Katara and Aang nodded at Ishi's observation. "Best if they get everything out now then during a real battle. Besides, with you here Katara and no bending or weapons, there's a limit to the damage they can do." Ishi yawned and settled to take a nap in the sun.

"Plus, they're fighting for something important now."

Katara looked over at the unusually somber monk and quickly realized what he meant. She always hoped he'd get over the infatuation he had on her but this wasn't how she wanted it to happen. "Aang…"

"It's okay, Katara. He's a good guy and I'm happy for you both." He tried to smile like usual, but it wasn't as bright. She opened her mouth to talk but he shook his head. "I'm alright. But, I think I might spar with Zuko next." He gave a normal smile and raced off. _Just 'cause I like him doesn't mean I'll make it easy for him._ He frowned. _He'd better take care of her._

O.o.o.o.o.O

"I want you to keep an eye out for a Fire Nation ship that's acting suspiciously. There was one spotted leaving the area the day my brother escaped."

"Yes, your highness." He bowed low before her, unmoving. He remembered what happened to the previous soldier who left before being dismissed. A tiny shudder went through him.

"And keep the fact that I'm not on board quiet. I want to be able to move freely." She stared down at him, contemplating how long she could make him stay in that position. _Unfortunately, now isn't the time for entertainment._ "Leave me." He scurried quickly out of the room, simply grateful to survive the experience.

Azula bent over her desk, intent on the maps scattered there. Her concentration was broken by a cheerful, hyper voice. " 'Zula! We're here!"

She turned to see two young women framed in the doorway. One was bright while the other seemed to draw the shadows into herself. The darker one spoke. "It was so boring in Omashu. You'd think attacking a kingdom and imprisoning its king would be more entertaining."

Azula smiled wickedly. "I have something exciting for you. Very entertaining."

Mai simply arched an eyebrow while Ty Lee jumped up and down excitedly. "What is it?"

Azula looked down at her maps again before replying. "We're going hunting."

"Oh, those poor animals. You know I don't like hunting, 'Zula. It throws off my aura." Ty Lee pouted.

Mai cast her an irritated glance. "I have a feeling these animals walk on two legs." She looked to Azula. "Am I right?"

"What fun would it be otherwise?" She ordered them closer to the map with a gesture. "Father has declared Zuko and Uncle Iroh traitors, they are no longer Fire Nation. Zuko has challenged father's rule and, because of that, he has forfeited his life."

Mai opened her mouth to protest but snapped it shut. Azula was not someone to provoke, especially not it her current mood.

"Furthering his guilt are the people traveling with him. He travels with the Avatar."

Both girls were shocked but Ty Lee spoke first. "You mean he has captured the Avatar? Right?"

"No. I mean that that coward has joined forces with him. I've already had Zuko in my grasp, ready to return to my father but the Avatar aided in his escape. Zuko's convinced now that what father's doing will mean 'the doom of our world and out nation'." She made a face in disgust. "He's been too long with uncle and his thoughts of harmony between the elements."

Mai seemed interested. "Fighting the Avatar should prove entertaining enough."

"And seeing Zuko again?" Ty Lee asked with a slight giggle.

Mai ignored her. "Is it just him and the Avatar?" They both jumped back at the low, menacing growl coming from their friend's throat.

"No, there are others with him. A pathetic group to be sure. There's still uncle but his age keeps him from being a threat. One, the earthbender, should be dead. I stabbed her myself. There's a boy, same age as Zuko, who has delusions of being a warrior. Then there's the waterbender." Her hands clenched on the table. "She's the most annoying of the group. I look forward to breaking her." Her smile was one of evil anticipation.

Ty Lee looked over her shoulder at the map. "So, what's your plan?"

Azula's grin only got wider. She could practically taste her victory. "Alright. Here's what we're going to do."

O.o.o.o.o.O

Iroh called them all together. "I know you are all comfortable here, but you need to leave." There were protests from all around the room. He signaled for quiet. "I know, I know. But there is a reason for this. Azula is still tracking you and she will have known about this ship. If you stay, you'll be in danger but, if you leave, she'll still track the ship and you'll be safe. Well, at least safer."

None of them looked happy but it was Aang who broke the silence. "Are you sure?" Iroh nodded. "Then I guess there's no choice. But what about Ishi?"

She shook her head. "I don't think I can. I can barely move around the ship let alone ride on Appa for hours on end. And I refuse to slow you down." Her face was sad but determined.

Katara looked upset at the thought of leaving her friend behind. "But…"

Again, Ishi shook her head. "No. I'll be fine here with Iroh. I promise." Katara came forward and gave her a gentle hug. "I'll stay until I'm well then I'll come looking for you."

Katara stepped back, still not happy with the situation but understanding the logic behind her decision. Zuko placed a hand on her shoulder and she relaxed further.

Sokka cleared his throat. "So, when do we leave?"

"You leave tonight; it will be harder to see Appa in the dark. I'll have supplies readied for your trip." Iroh looked at each of them for a long time. "I'll miss you all."

Zuko watched him walk away. "Well, we have a lot to do before dark."

Later that night, after some tearful goodbyes, the smaller group flew from the ship to find their own way to the Fire Nation Capital.

> > > > > > > > > > > > >

AN: Well, I hoped you liked it. I'm sorry if anyone is a die-hard Yue fan but I just like Sokka/Suki better. No offense intended. Well, you know the drill. Hit the little button and tell me what you thought. Review, Please and Thank you!


	20. Chapter 20

AN: Hi, guys. Sorry for the wait but, umm, let's just say I was super busy and I won't bore you with the details. Well, that be all. Enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: Nope, still waiting.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > >

They flew all night and late into the next day before deciding to rest. They landed in a small clearing and gratefully stepped onto solid ground.

As they started to set up, Sokka called for attention. "Okay. We need some rules for you two." He pointed to Zuko and Katara. "First, no touching, ever or for any reason. Second, you sleep on opposite sides of the camp. And third, no getting up at night."

"What if it's important?"

A glare was the reply Zuko received. "If you value your life, I suggest you hold it."

"Sokka! Stop babbling and help me set up camp." Katara's voice broke up the little staring contest Zuko and Sokka were having. "Zuko, could you get the firewood?"

"That's original. A firebender getting firewood." Sokka grumbled as he pulled the packs off Appa. When a nut hit the back of his head, through, he spun around. Zuko had already left but Katara still stood there, looking completely innocent. She gave him a glowing smile and pointed at Momo, who looked downright insulted.

Aang watched the byplay between the siblings and shook his head. _This is gonna be one long trip._

Late that evening, after everyone was asleep, Zuko sat straight up in his bedroll. He pushed to his feet quietly and moved to the edge of the camp. Before he got too far, a hand descended on his shoulder.

"I thought I told you to stay put." Sokka growled in the other boy's ear.

"Would you shut up?" Zuko was listening intently. He didn't lie when he told Katara he preferred the darkness. It really was his element. "There's something wrong."

"What's wrong?" Apparently they were loud enough to wake Aang.

"I thought I heard something." Zuko was peering into the darkness, trying to locate the faint noise.

"Figures you would, with ears like those."

"My ears!" Zuko shot a glare at Sokka. "Have you looked at your reflection lately?"

"That's enough guys. Now what are we gonna do?"

They shared one last glare and Zuko spoke up. "Sokka, you wake Katara, just incase we need to leave. Aang and I'll look into what that noise was."

"Who made you the boss?"

A low growl escaped Zuko's lips. "Then you go with Aang and I'll stay here with Katara. All alone, in the dark…"

"Good point. Be careful, Aang."

They moved through the woods as quietly as possible, listening carefully for the sound to repeat itself. Aang stopped and pointed slightly to their right. "There." The faint voice of a girl reached them.

"I said leave me alone. I'm not going back with you!" They took off at a run without waiting for her attacker's reply. Fierce shouts and thunderous crashes forced them to move faster. They exploded onto the scene only to see a young girl standing over an extremely large, very unconscious man.

The second they entered the clearing a rock flew out of the ground to meet them. Zuko dove out of the way and Aang launched himself over its path. He hung in the air for a few seconds, seeing the girl glance around in confusion, before landing behind her.

She spun to face him. "Light on your feet, aren't you, Twinkle Toes?" Another rock flew at his head.

Aang knocked the missile away with airbending and moved in to stop anymore attacks. "Stop! We're not here to fight you. We came to help you." He looked down at the figure on the ground. "Not like you needed it."

She squared her shoulders and raised her chin. "That's right. I don't need help from anybody. I'm fine on my own." Her stomach growled loudly enough to rival Sokka's.

Aang just smiled. "Why don't you come back with us and get something to eat. Oh, I'm Aang, by the way. What's your name?"

The moonlight glinted on her unseeing eyes as she gave him a cocky grin. "I'm Toph."

O.o.o.o.o.O

Iroh looked down at the woman beside him. "Are you sure about this?"

"Not really but we need all the help we can get. Plus Sokka spoke very highly of them." Together, Ishi and Iroh moved further inland until they reached the statue. There, she dropped to her knees and buried her hands in the earth.

Iroh looked at her oddly. "What are you doing?"

Her voice was awash in concentration. "I'm feeling. I'm not too good at this, it's not my real talent, but it still works." She screwed her eyes closed and leaned further into the ground.

"They should have seen the ship by now. They must be on their way." Iroh scanned the area, alert for an ambush.

And, suddenly, Ishi could feel them approach. She looked at Iroh. "They're here." She pushed to her feet and called loudly to the people around them. "Come out! I am Ishi, an earthbender and companion to the Avatar. I seek an audience with the village elders."

With the ease of those completely comfortable with themselves, the warriors emerged, ready for an attack. One girl, though, stood tall and proud in front of them. "And why should we believe you; someone who travels with Fire Nation?"

"The people who I travel with are loyal to Prince Zuko who is now an ally of the Avatar. We desire the end of the war as much as you do. But we need help if we are to succeed." During the discussion, Ishi's hands remained spread and her body relaxed. She trusted in these people, now she only hoped that that trust wasn't misplaced.

The girl stepped forward. "I believe the Elders will want to hear what you have to say. But remember, one wrong move and you won't be making it back to your ship."

Ishi nodded. "We understand. And thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. I'm just getting you in. I never said if you'll make it out again."

Ishi's voice was dry. "Warning noted. And who are you?"

The warrior girl smiled. "My name is Suki."

Ishi smiled. _He was right; she does have a lot of spunk._

They were led to the center of the village and knelt in front of the headman. He looked them over carefully, trying to spot a hint of deception. "If you are companions of the Avatar, where is he now?"

He had addressed his words to Ishi, completely ignoring Iroh's presence. "They are heading into the Fire Nation. Aang is on his way to face the Fire Lord."

Suki stepped forward. "You said 'they'. Who else is with him?" The Elder shot her a look and she stepped back.

Ishi smiled. "Katara and Sokka are both still with him, along with Zuko."

The headman sighed. "Very well, what exactly are you looking for?"

Iroh cleared his throat. "We are seeking allies. After Ozai is defeated, peace will need to be restored. We are hoping that you will join us and help us work towards that end. At the moment, though, we need help to make sure they survive long enough to reach the capital. The might of the Kyoshi warriors is legendary and since you had aided the Avatar in the past…"

"Helping the Avatar is one thing but siding with firebenders is another."

Ishi watched him begin to walk away and jumped up in anger. "If you walk away from this you're as bad as the Fire Lord." Angry murmurs passed through the people surrounding them. "This man here and the men on the ship are completely dedicated to ending this war. They have severed their connection to the Fire Lord. Or did you not notice that he does not wear his hair in the traditional style?"

The people looked at him and noticed the absence of the normal top knot.

"He is a fugitive of the Fire Nation because he protected the balance of the world. He is hunted by his own **family**! Do you still doubt his sincerity? Do you doubt the trust Aang holds for him!"

Iroh reached up and tugged her gently down. "That's enough." He admonished her gently. He turned to the elders. "I understand your hesitation; you have the best interest of your people to think of. But, isn't helping the Avatar in their best interest? The people of the Fire Nation, the common people and the soldiers, are just as tired of this war. Parents watch their children go off to die, children are left without parents. It is time for it all to end."

The headman knelt in front of him. "And you think that us joining you will accomplish this? You are asking us to put aside one hundred years of oppression and distrust on your word alone. That is much to ask."

"I know it is. But there is no other way. Ozai must be stopped and balance restored. Families need to be reunited and parents shouldn't have to burry their children." He had to swallow the lump in his throat at this point but he went on. "War makes for strange bedfellows. Our alliance may seem strange now but, in the future, I hope that they are commonplace."

The people around him were silent, waiting for the headman's decision. Slowly, he stood. "I will need to discus this further with the rest of the Elders. Until a decision is made, you are welcome to stay here. Suki." She stepped forward. "Take care of our guests." The men entered into the nearest house and shut the door behind them.

Ishi was still fuming over their lack of foresight but Iroh calmed her down. "You need patience. Some things just take time." He chuckled lightly as she began to fidget.

The young warrior approached them and bowed. "If you would follow me please." She led them to the training house which was currently empty. She turned to Ishi. "Even if the Elders decide not to join you, I know there are some in this village who will go against them."

Ishi cocked an eyebrow. "And you're one of them I take it." Suki nodded. "Why?"

"I believe everything he said back there. The pointless deaths must end. After the Avatar left, my warriors and I left the island to do what we could to help. We protected some towns, stopped people from taking advantage of those weaker then them. I've seen atrocities done by both sides, even Earth Nation against Earth Nation." Her voice dropped. "I also lost friends. It all has to stop and the Avatar is the one to do it. I will do all in my power to see that he succeeds."

Ishi gave a soft snort. "As nice as that is, one person won't make that much of a difference."

"On the contrary." Both girls looked to Iroh who sat in front of the water clock. "One person can make all the difference." He signaled them over. "Watch the ripples. They spread to cover the entire surface but they are started by one small drop. And, if we collect them, drop by drop, we will soon have a whole ocean."

Sharing a glance, the girls left him to contemplate the ripples and droplets. As they watched to sunset, Suki spoke up. "Is he always like that?"

A large sigh answered her. "All the time. But he does have a point. We'd be glad to accept your help." They shook hands and settled in to wait for the Elder's decision.

O.o.o.o.o.O

Toph smacked her lips. "Not bad princess." She stretched. "Well, it's about time I got going."

"Wait. Why don't you stay a while?" Katara liked the waif, even if she was a little rude. She reminded her of Aang.

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Sarcasm dripped from her voice. "Sorry, princess, but I work alone."

Katara narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to speak but Aang stopped her. "You don't have to stay for long. Maybe just for the night."

"I guess." She plopped down in front of the fire looking quite comfortable for someone who wanted to leave.

"So," Aang moved next to her while the others settled back into sleep, Sokka snoring between Zuko and Katara. "What are you doing out here by yourself?"

"Hey. I don't need help from anyone. I take care of myself."

"I didn't mean anything by it. I was just curious. Plus that man said something about taking you back."

She sighed. "I guess you won't shut up until I tell you, huh? Fine. I ran away from home. That guy was trying to bring me back. But I won't go. I won't!" She slammed her fist down and a cloud of dust rose up.

Sokka snorted slightly in his sleep at her shout but everyone stayed asleep. Aang's curiosity was peaked. "Why? What happened?"

"Are you always this nosy?"

"Yes."

She made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat. "My family babied me because I'm blind. I'm not allowed to do anything on my own or leave the walls of my home. I'm not even allowed to practice any higher level earthbending. They're afraid I'll get hurt. It drove me crazy. It's like being kept in a cage."

"So that's why you left?"

"Not exactly. As a way of practicing my bending, and getting out of the house, I started to wrestle."

"Wrestle? How can you wrestle if you can't see?"

"I see with my feet." She could practically hear the question coming. "I feel the vibration and I know exactly where everything is. That's what made me unbeatable. Apparently, the fame of the 'Blind Bandit' spread quickly. My father even decided to 'slum it' once and come see a match. When he recognized me he was furious. My restrictions before were nothing to what he made them. He even forbade me from doing the smallest bending. I was being suffocated."

"So you ran away."

She nodded. "So I ran away."

"But where are you going? What do you plan to do?"

"I don't know. I just planned to wander and see what happens. Something exciting hopefully."

"You know, I am the Avatar. And we get into all kinds of excitement." He scratched the back of his head. "We get into a lot of danger too. But we do have lots of fun. You should come with us. Have you ever ridden an elephant koi?"

"No. Is it fun?"

"It's the best! They're so fast and the spray of the ocean's so cold. It's an amazing feeling. You'll love it."

She actually looked interested. "Is that where you're going now?"

The air around them suddenly became heavy. "No. Perhaps you shouldn't come with us."

"What? Why? You already invited me, you can't take it back."

"We're heading into the Fire Nation. It's gonna be very dangerous. There are soldiers and bounty hunters out looking for us and I'm gonna have to fight the Fire Lord. I don't know if we'll all survive. It's too dangerous for you."

A ball of mud smacked him in the face. "I already told you, I can take care of myself. I'm not some fragile little girl. I'm tough. Besides, I eat danger for breakfast."

"That's good 'cause it's Sokka's turn to cook." They laughed together for a while, the tension broken. Silence returned and Toph began to settle in to sleep. Before she could succumb, Aang had one more thing to say. "I'm glad you'll be with us."

Toph couldn't see the blush that colored his cheeks but Katara could. She smiled and closed her eyes once more.

O.o.o.o.o.O

They heard the messenger before they saw him so when he finally appeared, they were waiting for him. Wordlessly, they followed him to the center of the village. With Suki by their side, they stood in front of the elders.

The headman stepped forward. "What you have placed before us was difficult to decide upon. Some doubted your sincerity and others, your authority. This offer of peace seems too good to be real, a false promise. And for this reason, we hesitated to accept it. Your…"

The ground shook violently as, in the distance, explosions rang out. A man covered in soot staggered into the village. "A ship… attacking the other… fighting down on the beach." He fell to his knees. "They fight like demons."

Iroh turned to the headman. "We must act quickly. These are not your average soldiers. They must have followed us here."

"How right you are, uncle." Iroh turned and watched as Azula emerge from the shadows.

> > > > > > > > > > > >

AN: That's it for this one. I don't really remember that Toph calls Katara so, if anyone knows, feel free to fill me in. I'd like to have this story finished before school starts, that's in 3 weeks. (shudder) So, probably not but I'm aiming for it anyways. So, hope you liked the chapter. Hit that little button and tell me what you thought. Thanks for reading.


	21. Chapter 21

AN: Well, considering that Monday is my first day of school, I'm gonna say that this will not be done before then. It will be finished though. Alright, here you go.

Disclaimer: As if you didn't know by now.

----------------Break------------------

"You seem to be missing a few people uncle. Where are they?" She circled him, staying in the shadows, the light from the fires making her eyes glint evilly. She glanced to the side and noticed Ishi. "Huh, the earthbender. I thought you were dead. No matter, a mistake easily rectified."

"You're getting ahead of yourself niece. There's nothing for you here." Ishi caught the signal he sent her and tried to quell her anger. And her fear.

"On the contrary. What I need is information and you can provide that for me. My dear brother and the Avatar are no longer on your ship; I want to know where they went."

Iroh pleaded with her. "Be reasonable, Azula. Use that sharp mind of yours and think for yourself. You don't want to hurt us."

"Oh no, I think I do. In fact, I'll take great pleasure in breaking my weakling brother. And that little whore who travels with him." She looked down on him, sneering at his attempt to reach her.

"This isn't right and you know it. All this is leading to a downward spiral that will destroy us all. Help me, help us, to stop it." He spread his arms wide, trying to reach a part of the girl that wasn't corrupted. He failed.

She laughed at his words and it sent shivers down the spines of the people present, too afraid to move. "You think to move me by compassion? You should know that the only thing that motivates me is power and the pursuit of it. Besides, I don't deal with traitors." She brought her hand in front of her, calmly checking her manicured nails. "You know, father easily signed the warrant for your capture. I'm sure it wouldn't take much to convince him that your death was necessary."

Without warning, three darts flew at him from the side. Instead of striking flesh, though, they clanged against metal and fell to the ground. Mai locked eyes with Suki as she moved further in front of Iroh. "Attacking from the shadows? This is the honor of the Fire Nation's princess? I'm not impressed."

Azula growled. "Watch your tongue peasant or I'll cut it out."

"You can try." Bringing her fans into position, she intercepted another attack of Mai's. The sudden movement freed the villagers from their frozen positions. In the flurry of movement, Ishi tried to reach Iroh's side so he wouldn't face Azula alone but she barely dodged in time to avoid a kick coming at her head.

The girl, dressed in pinks and mauves, flipped back with a giggle. Her innocent smile didn't fit with the dangerous vibes coming off her. "Ah, ah, ah, you're my playmate." Ishi threw another look at Iroh but had to scramble to protect herself. "I said I'm your opponent."

A strike landed near her wrist and Ishi cried out as her hand went numb. She cradled the injured appendage to her chest and backpedaled away from her. She dodged the girl's strikes, wary now of their hidden danger. With her free hand she brought chunks of earth up in order to gain herself space to bend.

She landed a lucky shot and the girl was knocked down. Ishi focused and tried to call up a wave of earth. It wavered slightly because of her hand but it was strong enough to keep the girl out of the fight for a few moments.

Across from her, Suki and Mai were locked in a dance of fans and blades. Mai was pushing for distance, trying to gain the advantage but Suki wasn't letting up. She swung the fans, slashing at her chest but only got a touch of the overly baggy clothing the girl wore.

Mai scooted back and flung at two knives before Suki could bring her defenses back up. A line of fire sliced across her cheek and another across her upper arm. Her left arm dropped as the numbness began to spread from the wounds.

Suki stumbled, the edges of her vision going fuzzy then dark. The world started spinning, swaying as if she was on a boat in the middle of a storm. She shook her head, trying to clear the fog from her brain but it only made the dizziness worse. She fell to her knees, sweating and panting for breath.

"You're luck. Had you been a bender you'd be dead. As it is, you'll just be disoriented for a while. Or, rather, you would have been." Mai drew her dagger and aimed for the exposed neck of the weakened warrior.

A fan intercepted the dagger the dagger and knocked it from Mai's hand. Suki turned her head to see the blurry shapes of her soot covered teammates. One went to help her stand while the other two moved in to engage Mai.

Mai looked around, surveying the fight. The earthbender had Ty Lee partially buried and was moving towards Azula and Iroh. The girls with the fans were coming towards her. _It's time to leave._ She leaped back and ran towards Ty Lee. She tugged her out of the ground, scattering dust everywhere.

Ty Lee sneezed. "Where's Azula?"

"Fighting Iroh." She glanced over at them. "More like playing with him. But it's time to go. Azula!"

The princess saw her wave and nodded. They headed for the small ship they were using. She saw the bender running towards her but, at that distance, she'd be too late. "You're not going to help me uncle." She calmly danced around his strikes.

Iroh was getting tired. _I've never felt so old before. But I can't let her go._ "The help you need is very different from what you're seeking."

Her smile was ice. "Then you're of no use to me." She sprung forward and swept his feet from under him. Normally, Iroh would've evaded this but weariness had made him slow. He had been up most of the night, waiting for the Elders' answer, and the fight had taken much out of him. He fell hard, the wind knocked out of him.

Slowly, he got to his feet. Azula glanced over his shoulder and saw Ishi not far off. "Sorry, uncle. I'd love to play more but it seems people want to interrupt." He made the mistake of looking back. That was when she struck.

Ishi heard Iroh's pain filled scream and watched him fall to the floor in slow motion. "No!" She screamed when she saw his niece standing over him, readying her final strike. Ishi flung her arms up and the earth around Iroh erupted. The blast of flame harmlessly struck against the shield.

Azula scowled, seeing her prey escape her. Ishi stood before her, poised for battle and the other warriors approached slowly. "This isn't over yet, earthbender. I already have an idea of where they're headed. Soon they'll be nothing more then a memory and smoldering ashes." She turned and ran, igniting houses as she left.

"Leave her. We need to put these fires out." Ishi sent the people scrambling, wishing silently for a waterbender. She lowered the shield around Iroh, her hand tingling as feeling started to return. He looked ashen and there was a large burn on his right shoulder and part of his chest. "I need some help over here!" Iroh shifted. "Don't move. You'll only make it worse." She looked down at him worriedly.

He ignored her, raised his left arm and took a deep breath. The flames around them flickered and, slowly, died. When they were once again in darkness, he collapsed back, his breathing labored. "Where is she?"

"She left. Her and the two girls with her. Everything's fine now." People came and peeled back the clothed sticking to his skin. Ishi wrinkled her nose at the scent of burnt flesh. The coated the burns with cream and wrapped them in clean cloth. She held his hand. "You better be alright 'cause I don't want to explain to Zuko how I let you get hurt."

He smiled, more of a grimace, and nodded. A slight sound to the side had them looking up. Suki stumbled to their side and sank gratefully to the ground. Her hands trembled slightly still but she made it here on her own. She wouldn't admit how drained it left her. Instead, she looked at Iroh. "Are you alright?"

"As well as a man of my age can be. But, I have to admit, I like the idea of two young mother hens watching over me." They all laughed slightly, releasing the tension lingering from the fight.

Suki dropped her head into her hand. "The first thing my warriors are going to do is hunt down those girls."

"No, they are not." The booming voice of the Elder came from behind them. "They will not be going anywhere near them."

"But why? We need to stop them, they're too dangerous to leave free."

"You don't understand, Suki. They won't be doing anything because there is no alliance. The firebender is on his own." He turned to go, leaving a confused Suki, and resigned Iroh and a furious Ishi.

Ishi sprang to her feet. "How con you sat that? Doesn't what just happened convince you that you're not safe here?"

His voice matched hers in fury and volume. "The only reason the Fire Nation ever landed on this island is because they've chased someone here. The first time it was the Avatar and our village was almost completely destroyed. Now it is you, on behalf of him, who brings destruction on us. No more. This island will survive. You are allowed to stay only until he is well enough to be moved, then I want you gone. Perhaps, it the Avatar succeeds…" He shook his head, unwilling to even commit that far.

"Elder!" Suki knelt before him. "I wish to be granted permission to accompany them."

"The decision has been made. You are not to follow them."

She stared at him in disbelief. "They need our help! We cannot turn out backs on them."

He was angry at her disobedience. "The decision is final! We do not aid them." He took in the mulish expression on her face. "After all that I said, you still wish to go with them?" Her nod only made him angrier. "Fine, but you will not do so as a warrior of Kyoshi."

A flicker of pain crossed her face but she quickly schooled her features. Without a word, she pulled off her helmet and placed it on the ground before him. She rose and passed through the crowd of onlookers to her hut. A short while later she emerged. Gone was her makeup and robe, the symbols of her status. Not, she wore a simple tunic and pants, making her almost undistinguishable from any other Earth Kingdom maid. Almost, except for the fierce determination burning in her eyes.

There were sad expressions all around as she sat by Iroh's side with a small pack. She had been a great asset to the village and now she was leaving. Her warriors came up to her, asking her not to go. "No, I must. This is far too important to ignore. If only the Elders would see that." She gave them a reassuring smile. "I'll be alright. Just make sure to protect everyone while I'm gone." They exchanged brief hugs and they parted.

A few of the soldiers were allowed inland to help carry Iroh out. Before heading below deck, he gave Suki's hand an encouraging squeeze. She gave him a small smile in return. This left her and Ishi alone on deck as the sailed a short distance away from Kyoshi.

A sigh escaped her. "My people are wrong. Why can't they see that they needed to help us?"

Ishi leaned on the railing beside her. "Hatred and fear are two of the strongest emotions. They take a long time to get over. You just need to give them that time."

Silence reigned until Suki spoke up. "You said fear and hatred were two of the strongest emotions. What is the strongest?"

Ishi smiled softly and looked at her from the corner of her eye. "Love." She stretched and yawned. Dawn was just breaking over the horizon. "Come on, I'll show you where you'll be bunking." Together, they walked down the stairs and out of sight.

---------------------Give me a break. Nothing else works.--------------------

AN: I always seem to get stuck on the fight scenes so I hope it was alright. Well, I don't really feel like talking so, see ya. Oh, and hit that little button to review. Please!


	22. Chapter 22

AN: Hey all, sorry for the wait but school's been busier then I thought it would be. /Shudder/ I'm just happy the semester's over. One question; Who else was calling Zuko an asshole at the end of the finale? Show of hands. Anyways, since I can't see them, on to the story.

Disclaimer: Nope.

O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O

"Okay everyone, breakfast is served." Everyone came back to the camp and was drawn to the stench coming from the pot boiling on the fire. They looked down at the gelatinous grey blob with horrified expressions.

"I think it moved." Zuko tapped the pot cautiously.

Sokka glared at him. "If you don't like it, your highness, then don't eat it." He spooned out a serving for everyone.

It landed with a soft plop on Toph's plate. "What the heck is this?"

"Breakfast."

"I know that's what you claim it is, snoozles, but what is it really?" She jabbed at the lumpy grey matter on her plate. Her finger went in with a squish and came out with a slurp. She stuck her tongue out in disgust as the smell reached her.

Sokka was annoyed with all the remarks on his cooking. "Come on. It's not that bad. Watch." He took a large mouthful and the group waited. He chewed once, twice, then the taste hit him. He turned green, then white, then green again before swallowing.

He dove for Katara's waterskin and poured in down his throat, trying to drown the taste that stuck behind. Around him, the entire group was laughing at the disgusted sounds coming from the figure writhing on the ground.

After about five minutes, he could finally speak normally although he did sound a little nauseous. "See. What did I tell you?" He broke off into a coughing fit. "Tastes just fine."

O.o.o.o.o.O

Suki woke a few hours later to a gentle knocking on her door. Quickly she stood, wincing as her feet struck the cold metal floor. Ishi stood there, looking remarkably well rested considering what they'd been through. "I need to talk to you." Suki stepped aside to let her enter.

"What's the problem?"

Ishi paced across the small room. "I can't stay. Not with them heading into battle. But there needs to be someone here too, one of us needs to stay."

Suki shook her head. "No. I'm not letting you travel alone. Who knows what could happen. I'm not doing it."

"You can't. Don't you see what'll happen if a ship full of firebenders shows up in port, claiming to support the Avatar. There'll be a fight and that's something we can't afford. There needs to be at least one other person from another nation."

"Yes, but…"

"I don't like it anymore then you do. But that's the only way. Now come on, I want to check on Iroh." They were almost to his room when a shout was heard from outside. Following the others running on deck, they stopped short when they saw a boat from Kyoshi flagging them down.

Soon, there were twenty people aboard. Suki's second in command stepped forward. "We couldn't stay behind, not after what happened. We're with you, all of us."

Smiling, Suki hugged the girl tightly. "Thank you. All of you." A short while later, they finally arrived to check on Iroh.

He smiled when they told him of the arrivals. "Excellent. I knew your people cared too much to remain apart. Your strength was a good example for them." Suki blushed slightly and his smile widened.

Ishi leaned forward. "How are you feeling?"

"As well as an old man can feel. But this is nothing a good deal of rest and time won't fix." He covered the right side of his chest. "My niece has very good aim though, and no restraint as to who she harms." He took in their hesitant faces and his eyes softened. "You've come to say goodbye."

By the grim looks on their faces, he knew he was right. "That's the best course of action. They'll need your help more then I will."

"But we don't even know where they are.

Iroh smiled. "I have a solution for that." He got up with a slight wince and they followed him to a room on the other side of the helm. There was a flutter of movement in the corner that drew their eyes. "Ladies, I'd like to introduce you to our messenger."

O.o.o.o.o.O

They settled into a routine; train by day, travel by night. Each knew they were heading for the final confrontation, so they worked their hardest to improve. At times, personalities clashed, tempers flared and words were exchanged but the peacemakers tried to keep everything in control.

That is, until Katara finally snapped. "I've had it up to here with that brat!"

"Katara, please just give her a chance." Aang pleaded with his irate friend as Zuko and Sokka looked on with amusement. It wasn't everyday they got to see her so flustered.

"One more word, Aang. One more word from her and I'll…" She broke off into a frustrated scream and stormed off.

"What's with the Sugar Queen?" Another scream was heard from Katara's direction. "Look, I can tell when I'm not wanted. And I can't stand her attitude. I take care of myself and if the princess can't handle it, too bad. I'm not gonna put up with her bossiness. I'm outta here."

"Wait!" Aang called out to the retreating form without getting a response. He looked back to Zuko who sighed, got up from his seat and followed Katara. Aang ran off in the other direction. "Toph! Wait up. Please."

"Leave me alone, Twinkle Toes. I'm not going back and dealing with that bossy princess."

"Come on. Please Toph. We need you." She stopped and turned to him. "You're part of our team now, you can't go."

"But I don't need your guys help."

"But we need yours. That's the way with teams. We help you, you help us. That way, we're not alone. We know you're strong and we're not not going to let you do things we know you can handle. And you can handle anything. So, please, come back."

She thought for a few moments. "Fine, I guess I could come with you. Even if you guys are annoying. I guess I could even help out." Aang's smile lit up the entire clearing as he grabbed her hand to drag her back to camp.

Meanwhile, Zuko was leaning against a tree as he watched Katara pace back and forth across the clearing, mumbling to herself. He only caught snippets of what she was saying but it was enough to get the drift. "Why does she bother you so much?"

"She's rude."

"So am I."

"She's childish."

"So's Aang… and Sokka."

"She… she thinks she's so above us, that she's not apart of a team."

"So did I. I was used to being alone and so is she. I was just as bad."

"Yeah, but you're… you're…"

He arched his eyebrow. "I'm what?"

She blushed and snapped, "You know very well what you are."

He pushed off the tree and walked towards her. He normally didn't show affection so it was even more special when he did. He cupped her cheek and traced it lightly with his thumb. "Just have patience."

That made her chuckle lightly. "You're one to talk."

He smirked. "But you're not me."

She sighed and leaned into him, resting her head on his chest. "She's just so impossible sometimes. But I'll try." She smiled up at him with a glint in her eye. She reached and gently tugged his head down into a kiss. Her arms slid around his neck when his wrapped around her. She sighed, it had been so long since they'd done this.

"Would you two break it up?!" They sprung apart to see Sokka scowling at them. "I thought I said no touching."

Katara opened her mouth but stopped when Zuko placed a hand on her shoulder. She caught his unspoken request and left to the camp. Zuko cleared his throat. "You know, we weren't doing anything."

"Yeah right. And my eyes are burning why?"

"That's your problem, not mine."

"She's my sister. It's my job to protect her from guys like you."

Zuko gritted his teeth, fighting to keep his temper in check. "Your sister can protect herself from anyone. And **I** am not going to hurt her."

As much as he hated to admit it, Sokka could see the truth in his eyes. _Damn it. I really don't want to believe this guy but…_ He looked back the way Katara went and sighed. "Just as long as you guys don't have…" He gestured helplessly.

Zuko blushed all the way to his hair-line. "Not that it's any of your business but, no, we haven't. And we won't till…" If anything, he got even redder as he trailed off.

"Until you what?"

"It's the custom in my nation to wait until marriage. I'm sure it's the same in yours." He tried to keep up his tough, aloof exterior but he wasn't completely successful.

The thought of having Zuko as a brother frightened Sokka. Hell, it frightened him a lot. But, unfortunately, it wasn't his decision, it was Katara's. "Just… I just don't want to see anything, okay? I don't think I would take it."

Zuko cracked a small smile and nodded. They started back when a cry was heard from above. Zuko looked up in surprise. "Shu?" A delicate snow hawk came to rest on his outstretched arm. And, resting on her leg was a scroll bearing Iroh's seal.

Eagerly, Zuko slipped off the scroll as she rested on his shoulder. Sokka moved to his side and they both read the letter. Soon after, Zuko moved off to fill in the others while Sokka ran after him.

Everyone was sitting calmly around camp; Aang and Toph bending a rock back and forth while Katara cleaned up from breakfast. They looked up, though, when the boys rushed into the clearing. Katara glanced at Zuko then at the bird on his shoulder and swallowed. "What's wrong?"

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he shook his head. "Nothing like that. Listen." Everyone gathered close as he read the letter.

My Dear Nephew,

I hope Shu finds you all well and safe. You'll be happy to know that we've found some allies, thanks to Ishi's influence and the strength of a girl from the island. From here, I am going to continue on to find more assistance, strengthening ties for later on. Ishi, however, has decided that she is well enough to join you. Along with her is someone I believe our friends already know. She, too, has expressed wishes of joining you. The most logical meeting place would be Ba Sing Se. From there, you can regroup and re-supply before moving on. Write back with your answer, Shu knows the way.

Your loving uncle

P. S… Pick me up some tea while you're there.

Zuko looked around him. "So, everyone okay with that?" There were nods all around and he bent over a piece of paper to reply.

O.o.o.o.o.O

A soft cry made Iroh look up. He stretched out his arm and Shu gently settled. She held out her leg expectantly and Iroh took the letter. Suki and Ishi watched as he silently read it. When he reached the end, he smiled. "Looks like you girls are going on a trip."

O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O

AN: Again, sorry for the wait but school sucks BIG time. Hope you enjoyed it and drop me a review. Please. They make me write faster. Oh, And Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanza and, for my fellow pagans, Merry Yule. Hope everyone has fun a fun filled vacation.


	23. Chapter 23

AN: Hey all! I know I promised to update sooner but I hope to make it up to you with an extra long chapter. School is over for the summer so I should be more consistent. Please, just forgive me my ADD. I get distracted eas… oh look! A chicken! Sorry. Anyways, on to the chapter.

Disclaimer: Still don't own it. If I did, we'd have new episodes already.

O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O

"I've never seen anything so big."

Zuko smiled at her wide admiring eyes. "And you'll never see another like it." They had finally reached the walls of Ba Sing Se. "My uncle used to tell me stories of this place. He always wanted to see inside the walls." A sad smile crossed his face.

"He will. Once everything is over, he'll get his chance." They brushed hands, still not entirely comfortable with open shows of affection. Especially under the scrutiny of the rest of the group.

"Yeah, anyways. Where are we heading people?" Even if he couldn't change their relationship, Sokka could always ignore it.

"Let's just set down of the wall. Maybe someone'll be able to give us directions to the king."

"Way to be optimistic there, Twinkle toes." The group dissolved into the bickering of people who have been too long together in too close quarters.

The bearded man approached cautiously. It wasn't everyday a group of kids on a flying bison landed at his station. "Umm, excuse me. Excuse me." He cleared his throat but no one paid attention. "Excuse me!"

"What!" Aang snapped but drew back when he saw the man standing near them. "Oh, sorry. Umm, I hate to ask but could you give us a hand. I'm the Avatar and I need to meet with the king."

"Welcome Avatar. If you would wait shortly, I will summon a guide." With a quick nod, he left them to stretch and wait.

Not long after they were approached by a young woman with a wide smile and vacant eyes. "Hello. I am Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se. If you will follow me, I will show you to your quarters. But your…" she looked over at Appa, "beast will be unable to stay. He will have to travel to the stables on the outskirts of the city."

Aang narrowed his eyes. "Appa stays with us."

"I am sorry but the law states that beasts his size are not allowed in the city proper. He cannot stay."

"Then maybe we'll just go." He was stopped by Katara's calming hand on his arm. "Fine. Sorry boy." He scratched beneath Appa's chin. "It won't be for long and Momo can go with you. You keep each other safe."

Joo Dee watched in satisfaction as Appa lifted into the sky. "If you will follow me." She took them to a stone building with a large central room and two rooms on either side. "These will be your quarters during your stay. I will return tomorrow to give you a tour of the city." She bowed and backed out the door.

"When will we be able to see the king?"

She turned back to the Avatar. "I will present your request to the proper authorities. After it has been approved, you will have an interview with a junior advisor. Then…"

"Are you kidding me?!" Sokka's eye twitched in frustration. "We don't have time for all that red tape stuff. There's a war going on!" Joo Dee just stared, eyes blank, smile vacant. "You do know there's a war going on, right?"

"We are safe here. Our walls protect us."

Her hollow voice sent shivers down their spines but Sokka tried again. "But what about outside the city?"

"Our walls protect us. We are safe in Ba Sing Se."

Sokka's face was scrunched in confusion, a sick feeling in his gut. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say." She back out the doors, closing them firmly behind her. "Well… that was weird."

"Thank you Captain Obvious."

"Hey!" He shot Toph a glare. "That's Master of the Obvious to you. Anyways, now what?"

"We wait. That's all we can do." Aang plopped down gently on the ground. "We can't do anything until Ishi gets here so we might as well enjoy it while we can. I wonder if there's an Earth temple here."

"Sure. I heard my parents talk about visiting it once. It's on the west side of the city."

"Great!" A burst of air pushed him from the ground and he grabbed his staff. "Let's go Toph."

They were almost out the door when Sokka stopped them. "There's no way you two are going out on your own."

"Great idea!" Katara grabbed Zuko's hand and raced out the door. "Have fun guys."

There was a definite twitch under Sokka's left eye as he watched his sister drag the older boy behind her at top speed. "That was just wrong." He looked at the two beside him with the too innocent looks on their faces. "Come on. Let's get to the temple."

O.o.o.o.o.O

"I say we take the boat all along the river. It would be quicker." Ishi traced the route on the map.

"But a ship like this will attract attention. We should go over land."

"That would take too long."

Jee closed his eyes momentarily and counted to ten. This wasn't the first time this argument came up. With two strong willed people, both used to being in charge there was bound to be arguments. But when they got like this, they reminded him of Zuko. "We do both."

"What."

Being pierced by two identical burning stares was enough to make the boldest of men back down but he steeled himself. "It's a new moon so we will be able to travel at night without being seen. When it becomes too bright we'll travel by foot." Their stares held grudging acceptance but they stayed silent. He sighed. "Is that understood?"

The mumbled 'Yes sir' only made him sigh again. _This is going to be a long trip._

O.o.o.o.o.O

"We should be coming up on it soon."

Sokka looked at her strangely. "How can you tell?"

Toph cocked her head to the side as if listening to something intently. "I'm not sure. The spot up ahead just… feels different."

"Like it's drawing us towards it." Aang was focusing as intently as she was.

"We're here." They had arrived at a simple building. The only decoration gracing its walls was a small disk bearing the symbol for earth next to the door. With a deep breath, Aang pushed open the large wooden door.

Where the Northern Oasis was surrounded by water this was a flowering garden, full and lush. Plants climbed the walls and lined the stone walkway leading to a large circle of grass. Above this, creating an arch, was a blooming wisteria bush. And, presiding over the entire area, was a deep sense of peace.

Without waiting for the others Aang settled into the lotus position under the archway. He was about to enter a meditative state when Sokka's voice reached him. "Don't get kidnapped this time." He smiled then slipped into the spirit world, this time easier than the last.

Toph and Sokka stood watch over their vulnerable friend. "Sooo…" Sokka rocked back on his heels. "Read any good books lately?"

Toph only shook her head.

O.o.o.o.o.O

"I can't believe we just left them like that."

Katara waived off his concern. "They can take care of themselves. Besides," she slipped her hand in his. "It's nice not to have everyone around." He blushed as she led him around the market place. Neither noticed the person across the square turn to follow them.

Zuko waited patiently while she searched among the fabrics at the clothing stall, gently fingering the different textures. Then, without warning, she raced across the street to look at the water skins.

His eyes wandered down to the worn one hanging at her side. When she moved on to the next stall, his eyes drifted sadly to the weapons stall before he stepped up to the hawker and bought the skin she had been admiring. Without a word he slipped over her shoulder. The smile she sent him was thanks enough but the kiss was an added bonus.

She transferred her water to the new skin before pushing him over to the weapon booth. Though not as expressive as herself, she could read the admiration in his gaze.

"Uncle sent me a knife like this the first time he came to Ba Sing Se." He fingered the blade longingly.

"Do you still have it?"

His facial expression didn't change but his eyes grew hard. "No. I lost it the night the pirates attacked my ship." Before he could re-sheath it he was shoved by someone moving through the crowd. The blade cut a shallow line across his palm.

Katara growled at the retreating back, briefly wondering if she could reach him from where she was before turning back to Zuko. "Here." She took his hand. "Let me see."

"It's all right. Nothing more than a scratch." He winced as she pressed too hard.

"Men. Just let me take of it." A small blue orb came to her hand and settled over the slice. Glowing briefly she healed him and used the excess water to wash away the blood. "There. Now that wasn't so hard was it?"

He gave her a soft smile. "No. I guess it wasn't." Beside them the shop keepers began to light their torches. Twilight had fallen on the city. "We should start heading back."

"One thing first." She ran over to a vendor and returned with two steaming cups. Lifting her tea she smiled. "Here's to Uncle."

Taking a cup and echoing her movements she smiled. "To Uncle." Finishing their drinks they headed back, hand in hand.

O.o.o.o.o.O

"And then he said, 'that's not a platypusbear, that's my wife.' Get it. My wife… he he… he…" The only sound to meet Sokka's ears was the chirp of the cricketflies. "You could humor me you know."

"I hate to give false encouragement." Toph rested on her back, arms folded behind her head. "Is it normal for him to be in a trance this long?"

"I don't know. He was in for a day once."

"I am so not sticking around here for a day. I'm heading back." She stretched and moved towards the door.

"You can't leave. What if something happens and I need to protect Aang?"

"The only thing dangerous around here are your jokes."

He glared at her. "You're just jealous because I have reached a level of humor far beyond your understanding."

"Nope. I'm older than four."

His reply was cut off by the deeply indrawn breath behind them. Aang had awakened from the trance. "You okay?"

Aang took a few seconds to regain his bearings then he broke into a wide smile. "It was amazing. You guys won't believe what I found out."

"Spill it Twinkletoes."

He shook his head. "Not till we're all together. Come on." They raced through the streets, Toph keeping up surprisingly well, and reached the house in no time. Zuko and Katara were sitting out front. "I know the secret!"

"What secret?" Katara looked as confused as Zuko by their friends' sudden arrival.

"I know how to beat the Fire Nation."

O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O

AN: Well I hope you enjoyed this. I was going for longer but I wanted to get this up as soon as possible. Hope you enjoyed it and the next chapter is already being written. Now, remember a review equals love.


	24. Chapter 24

AN: Sorry everyone, but I lost my flash drive that had the chapter in it. Well, here is the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.

Disclaimer: Do I really need to keep doing this? I own nothing and I'm not making any money from this.

O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O

The silence was so thick it was suffocating. Finally Zuko stood. "Inside. It's best not to talk out in the open." They rushed inside and settled around the brazier in the center of the room. "Now what do you mean?"

"In the spirit world I met Avatar Roku. He was talking about the elements and how each can be affected. Like Katara with the moon."

"And me with the sun. So? What does that have to do with everything?"

"Keep your shirt on, Hotpants." Katara had to stifle a giggle at Toph's new nickname for Zuko. Unfortunately, Sokka wasn't so thoughtful.

"Hotpants. That's great. Ow!" He smacked a hand to his hind end which was smoldering slightly. He glared at the resident firebender only to receive a smirk in reply.

Katara sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Please don't light my brother on fire."

"I don't know what you're talking about." His tone was innocent but his smile was pure mischief.

She rolled her eyes. "Just continue, Aang."

"Thanks. Okay, when is a firebender at his weakest?"

"At night." Zuko stated the obvious.

"Not at night. When the sun's down."

They all looked at Aang as if he lost it. "That's the same thing."

"It's not Sokka. Zuko, what do you know about the Fire Nation's darkest day?"

He racked his memory. "It was the day… of the Fire Nation's greatest defeat."

"Do you remember why?"

He shook his head. "No. We were never taught much about it. It was almost a taboo subject. Why?"

"Because it was just as it is described. A dark day, a day without sun."

"How can that be?" Katara leaned forward in interest.

"As it travels around our world, the moon casts a shadow. It is rare but sometimes it casts one on the sun, completely blocking its light from reaching us. A day without sun…"

"And without the sun a firebender's power is nonexistent." Zuko looked thoughtful.

"And, if the battle takes too long, night is soon to follow. So for almost two days the firebenders will be weaker." A small hope was growing on Katara's face.

"It won't last that long." Aang swallowed nervously. "Total darkness will only last for a few minutes. But for about an hour before its affect will be diminishing. And for about an hour after it will be slowly returning to normal. I know it's not much but it might give us the time we need."

"Yeah, but if it's so rare, what are the chances of it happening?" Sokka's question deflated everyone but Aang.

"One month." They stared at him. "In one month's time there is another solar eclipse. We have to strike then."

"I'll lead you into the palace. There are paths that only those who have lived there know." Aang smiled and nodded his acceptance.

"Now what?" Toph flopped once again on her back.

Aang plopped down next to her. "We talk to the King. We could really use his help. An army would be really nice. And we wait for Ishi."

'Grrrrrrrrr' They all turned to Sokka. "What? I'm a growing boy and growing boys gotta eat. It's dinner time."

"Someone's coming." Toph's warning came a moment before the knock fell on the door. "Feels like the girl from before."

Aang opened the door to the smiling Joo Dee. "Esteemed Avatar and guests, I bear an invitation from the Grand Secretariat, Long Feng."

"Will there be food? Ow! Katara." Sokka glared at her.

"Stop whining and I wouldn't have to kick you."

Aang ignored the hissing behind him. "Why does he want to meet us?"

"He meets with everyone who desires to speak with the King."

"Everyone?"

Though Toph spoke, Joo Dee kept her vacant stare on Aang. "He meets with all those worthy enough to see the King." An uneasy silence filled the room but her smile did not waiver. "If you all will follow me… You must prepare for dinner."

She led them to a large ornate building. There they separated into two rooms to dress for dinner. The girls emerged in the formal, kimono-like dress common in the city. The boys were waiting, clean and brushed (except for Aang) but still in their own clothes.

Joo Dee didn't look pleased but she led them to the table anyways. It was a smallish room and dimly lit. A lone man stood before the fire, his back to the group. Around the edges of the room, where they blended with the shadows, stood guards.

He turned, the firelight casting shadows that set his face into sharp contrast, and smiled a politician's smile. "Welcome to Ba Sing Se. You have found your rooms to your liking?" They nodded. "Excellent. Please, sit."

His gaze touched on all them as they seated themselves around the table. When he reached Zuko he lingered on the scar, eyes narrowing slightly. "I understand you desire an audience with the King." He turned back to Aang. "May I ask why?"

"We…" Aang had to swallow to get the words past his suddenly dry throat. "We wanted to ask for his aid in the war against the Fire Nation. You see, there's a…" He stopped as Long Feng held up a hand.

"We do not concern ourselves with the war in Ba Sing Se."

Katara stared at him in disbelief. "How can you say that? This war affects everyone."

"Discussion of the war and its… effects are forbidden. We live a utopian life behind these walls. And _I_ won't let anything, or anyone, interfere with that."

Zuko stood in anger. "What do you mean 'you' won't let any one interfere? You're not the King. What gives you the right?"

Feng looked at him with eyes narrowed in anger. "What's your name boy?" His gaze lingered again on the prominent scar, the wheels in his head obviously turning.

Zuko clenched and unclenched his jaw. When he spoke his voice was clipped. "Lee."

Feng didn't seem convinced but didn't press further. A sneer crossed his face. "This is _my_ city. I handle the everyday affairs of state. The military answers to _me_. Do you think I would let a fool such as the King destroy what I have worked so hard to create?"

Zuko's face darkened in anger, fists clenched at his side. "You're nothing but a filthy traitor." Katara could feel his temperature rising with his temper and began to worry. She moved to calm him but Long Feng acted first.

At an unseen gesture Zuko's hands were clasped behind his back and he was pulled roughly into his chair. Katara rose, drawing water from the table as she did. The guard across from her moved and her hands were encased in stone. With a cry she was shoved roughly back into her seat. The others soon joined her.

Feng favored them with a cold smile. "You see, the only traitors here are those who stand against me. That fool sitting on the throne is no more than a puppet. This is _my_ kingdom. My word, my wish, is law." He looked at Aang. "I won't allow anyone to jeopardize that."

"You can't keep this from the people." Aang sat deceptively calm in his chair. "Whether you like it or not they will find out."

Feng straightened his back and looked down his nose at the children before him. "We have strict policies for dealing with rabble-rousers. Any person causing trouble within my walls will be expelled." His smile chilled them. "Without their possessions. I hope I have made myself clear. Now, if you will excuse me." He gestured and they were free of their bonds. "I have business to attend to. You know your way out."

They made their way out under the dark gazes of the Dai Li. Leaving behind a frightened looking Joo Dee.

Beckoned by a simple look she followed Long Feng into his office. Standing before his desk he could feel the waves of fear radiating from her.

Without looking up from his paper work he began to berate her. "I thought you were supposed to keep them in the home I provided until I was prepared for them?"

"I told them to, that I would give them a tour of the city the next day. I didn't think they would go off on their own."

"There are parts of this city where they should not go. I hope that you realize that."

"Yes, my Lord. I understand. But these are not naive peasants, easily manipulated." She wrung her hands nervously. "They will not cease their pursuits simply because I urge them."

Leaning back in his seat, resting his hand beneath his chin, he looked at the woman shifting nervously before him. "You disappoint me. I've set you a simple task yet you couldn't even get the whelps to dress properly for dinner. You have failed me."

"My Lord, I…"

"Your training is faltering. We must fix that."

She shook her head frantically. "No, please, my Lord. I won't fail you again. Please…"

"The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai."

Her eyes glazed over and her movements calmed. "It would be my honor." She bowed low, waiting for dismissal.

"Leave me. No, wait. Where have you placed the Avatar's beast?"

"He was placed in the warehouse on the east side of the city, my Lord."

"Good, very good. Now, out of my sight." As soon as she was gone he signaled one of the Dai Li over. He needed to prepare.

O.o.o.o.o.O

"That guy was nuts." Sokka stretched out on the floor.

"No, he's a power hungry noble." Toph was holding her hands out to the fire. "It's not unheard of. It's not even that rare. When a ruler is weak a stronger person will step in. Whether the people know it or not."

"She's right." Zuko shifted next to Katara. "But the King is still the King. If we can get under Long Feng's watch and get to him we should…"

"Someone's coming." They all snapped their eyes to Toph. "And whoever it is is being real sneaky about it."

"Keep talking." Zuko moved quietly out of the room. Katara, Sokka and Aang talked about, of all things, penguin sledding while Toph kept track of those outside.

A short while later Zuko slipped back into the room. Kneeling between Katara and Aang he whispered. "It's one on the Dai Li. Long Feng must want to keep an eye on us."

"Can he see in?" Aang whispered back as the siblings kept the conversation going.

"No, I don't think so. I think they want to make sure we're not going to cause trouble. At least not right away."

"Then let's give it to him." Aang leaned past Zuko to whisper to Katara. She looked at him in question and he nodded.

After a lull in the conversation she spoke up with a hint of regret in her voice. "I think we should leave the city."

This stopped Sokka in mid sentence. "Are you crazy?! We can't leave yet. What about…"

"Of course we'll wait for Ishi but we can't stay here long after that."

"But what about the King? We could use the support."

Aang spoke up. "We're not going to get anything from the King. Long Feng already showed us that."

"Yeah, but…" Sokka faltered as Zuko made a slashing motion. "Are you sure?"

"There's no other way." The conversation fell back into inane chatter. Katara and Aang teased Sokka about something that happened on their trip. But Zuko watched Toph.

She remained tensed, stance firm, fingers reaching towards the floor. After about ten minutes she visibly relaxed. Flexing her fingers she lifted her head. "He's gone."

Aang looked nervously towards the door. "Do you think Feng will believe us?"

"No." Both Toph and Zuko answered. At the others' worried look he continued. "He was probably told to listen for our plans and report back. Nothing more. Long Feng isn't stupid enough to totally fall for this. But it'll buy us time."

"Time for what?" Katara asked.

He smirked. "Time to figure out a way around him."

O.o.o.o.o.O

"And that was all that was said?"

"Yes, Lord."

_What are they up to?_ He looked to the Dai Li kneeling before him. "I want them followed. I don't want them making a move I don't know about. I want to know where they go, what they see, who they talk to and what they say. Understand me?" The soldier nodded. "Good. Now go."

Long Feng moved to the windows, staring out over the city. _They're too determined to back down so quickly. _He sneered. _Especially the scarred one. Funny a peasant should care so much about loyalty to a king._

_They're too much of a wild card to allow them free reign._ He leaned on the window. Watching the people scurry below like so many ants. So easy to crush. "It's time to regain control of the situation."

O.o.o.o.o.O

In the morning the group separated. Katara and Zuko returned to the market, buying much needed supplies. Toph want along to make sure they actually did what they were supposed to. Sokka stayed behind in case Ishi arrived. And Aang went to visit Appa and Momo.

The three came back to find Sokka pacing. "It's about time. Do you know how boring this is?"

"You should try meditating." Zuko walked past him, putting down the supplies.

"Ha! He doesn't have the patience." She and Toph both laughed.

"Hey. I waited here all day and nothing happened."

"Sokka, please." Katara paused in her efforts of drawing the water from the food they'd be carrying. "You were only waiting a few hours. Not an entire say."

"Well… it felt like a day."

Toph ignored the good natured bickering around her and looked for the set of familiar vibrations. "Aang hasn't been back yet?"

"Nope, not at all. I didn't think he'd be gone this long."

Aang didn't return for another three hours. When he did crash through the door he was agitated, almost in a complete panic. "They're gone! They're both gone!"

"Aang." Katara rushed to her friend. "What happened?"

"They're gone. I've looked everywhere. They're not where Joo Dee said they'd be."

"Calm down, Twinkletoes. Was there anything there that could tell us where they were taken?"

Aang took a deep breath. "After looking around the area I went back. I found some of Appa's hair and there was an old man. He was apparently the one cleaning after them. He said they were bought by some nobleman and sent to Whale Tail Island."

"That's near the south pole."

Aang nodded to Zuko. "Right. They're going to a zoo. We can't leave them."

"But Aang, it'll take weeks to get there. We don't have that kind of time." Contrary to her words, Katara looked upset at the thought of leaving them behind.

"Something's not right with this." Sokka looked deep in thought.

"What do you mean?" Aang looked hopefully at his friend.

"Well… it's just a little too convenient. I mean we kinda challenge the power-hungry-crazy noble and all of a sudden our ride goes missing. Think about it. Besides Aang, Long Feng doesn't know what any of us are capable of. And I bet he doesn't even really know what Aang can do. He probably sees Appa as the only way we can get to the King."

"And he's right about that." Katara shook her head. "Even with taking them by surprise I don't think we could storm the palace."

"So what? We just abandon them, forget the King and move on? We can't do that!" Aang was flushed with anger.

"Relax." Toph cracked her knuckles, loosening herself up in anticipation of what was coming. "No one said we were. What we gotta do is outsmart him. You know, being the stupid kids that we are. We just gotta be more devious than he is."

A wicked smile bloomed on Zuko's face and he looked at Toph. "Tonight we go hunting."

O.o.o.o.o.O

That night, a lone Dai Li agent was patrolling one of the darker areas of the kingdom when he was knocked into by a figure in black. The soldier glared at the figure, debating on whether to let the slight slide or rough up the hapless peasant, until his eyes rested on the blue demon mask. A soft sound of surprise passed his lips before he gave chase.

The figure moved fleetly through the sparsely filled streets, leading him on a chase through the winding streets. Heedless of the danger, visions of glory blinding him, the soldier entered the darkened alley the figure just turned into.

Closed in, trapped by the dead end, the figure in the demon mask faced him. The soldier moved into a stance, prepared to take the figure's head with one blow. But before he could let loose with the deadly strike, he was surrounded by earth.

Though he couldn't see past the mask he could tell the man, for he was now sure it was a man, was smiling as he walked toward him. No, not walked, stalked. In a smooth movement the demon unsheathed his weapon and split it into two swords. Glimmering in the moonlight one of the swords came to rest at the soldier's exposed throat.

"Now," the demon's voice was harsh and dark. "You're going to tell me what I need to know." The blade bit eagerly at the man's throat causing a small drop of blood to trickle down. "And you're going to tell me quickly. Where is the Avatar's animal?"

"L-lake Laogai. They took the beast to Lake Laogai."

The demon leaned closer. "Why?"

"I don't know. I swear I don't. I wasn't even there when they moved it. I swear I didn't do anything to him. Just, please, let me go."

"You would do well not to follow orders so blindly." He stepped back from the trapped man and raised his sword high.

Clenching his eyes tightly, the man was surprised when instead of the sharp bite of the sword's edge there was a dull thud. Then… nothing.

Toph came from the shadows and lowered the man gently to the ground. "Do you always have to be so damn dramatic? I mean, come on."

Zuko took off the mask. "It worked, didn't it? And that's all that matters. Was he telling the truth?"

"Yes."

He let out a relieved breath at her certainty. "Good. Let's go." Toph handed him an over tunic to hide most of his black clothing. Together they slipped through the streets back to the comfort of their little house.

The relief in the room when they shared their news was tangible. It was decided. Tomorrow they would get their friends back.

O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O.o.o.o.o.O

AN: Hopefully everyone is happy with the longer chapter. I have the ideas for the next few chapters but I need a little help motivating myself to get them down. I really want to hear what people think about this chapter so, please, hit that little button and leave me some love… or even some advice to improve my writing. Whatever. Ciao! Later people!


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